Would you be emotionally prepared for a further drop and crash of crypto?
This isn’t about having an exit strategy. I want you to imagine losing everything you’ve invested and earned.
Would you be ok?
Yesterday I was forced to face these emotions. It wasn’t the numbers so much as the realization that whether these currencies succeed or fail and whether they are used to free us or turn us into slaves could potentially be decided by a few powerful whales, a few laws, a few large corporations decisions to adopt or manipulate or reject. TenX was sounding great until Visa said “wait a minute”. Do you think Google and Facebook aren’t working on their own blockchain already, and do you think the masses would so easily prefer bitcoin to their “reliable” alternatives?
I’m not saying crypto is going to fail. I don’t believe it will. I sure as hell ain’t selling. I believe there is a chance it can still help many more than it already hasn’t to lift many out of hopeless economic situations, and I hope that much of the coins with ideas and philosophies that differ from those of most corporate bodies continue to succeed. But we need to face the reality that anything is possible.
When you imagine losing everything, are you afraid?
We rarely act in our best interests when we are acting out of fear. You could argue that an animal in fear can escape a predator, but while the fear may be a natural response and a helpful indicator, it is not necessary for the animal to survive. A desire to live will also help that animal to escape. If the animal was fully focused on its desire to live, rather than its fear of dying, it would likely make better decisions.
So don’t bury your fear right now. Face it!
Facing your fear is the only way to overcome it. Putting it off or pretending it doesn’t exist won’t help you in the long run, eventually you will be forced to face it. If any “what if” scenarios can evoke fear when you really explore them thoroughly, then you ARE afraid, even if you’ve convinced yourself that “that can’t happen”. Being convinced that it won’t happen is NOT the same as overcoming the fear.
If your faith is being tested right now, let it be tested and you will be stronger for it. Sit with these worst-cases and "what if"'s for a while and find a way to accept them. Find some good in the bad. We’ve been shown here that anything is possible and that the future may be brighter than most of us could imagine, that it’s not inconceivable that you could go from nothing to being set for life in the matter of a few months. We’ve built networks of friends and support here at steemit and many of us have developed our writing and artistic skills to a significant degree. Even if your portfolio is reduced to 0, you are still in the green. Everything is going to be ok, we can come together as a community and make the best of whatever happens.
When you are ready and feel the fear leave your body, get those thoughts of market crash out of your head, everything is going to be fine! Steem and the whole crypto market is going to fly in 2018!
Read Part 2 - Navigating Your Reality
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Confessions of the Damaged - a collection of short stories
—-
by @skyleap
I'm not into crypto currencies yet. So the recent "crash" is not really an issue for me but I have noticed fear thoughts in relation to Steemit.
I'm still pretty gob smacked that my account after only a month is worth >$300. Add to that the fact that the hard work it has taken wasn't really hard at all because I've been learning, (great love of mine), writing (great love sometimes), connecting (huge love), looking at beautiful images, reading beautiful words, thinking about a different future, and on and on.
These are things that inspire me so it's truly amazing that by doing those things I've actually earned some money.
As a result I found myself thinking a couple of times - wow, could this really be my "job"? Could this be what I do everyday or 5 days at least? That gets me excited and then alongside that comes the fear.
I know that the relationships I form here, the learning and the pleasurable hours spent can't be taken away but the money could.
It's easy now because it's all an experiment and we're talking really small sums. But what if this did become what I do every day and I earn enough to be able to take money out and still support Steemit? What then?
At that point I really would have something to lose and it's interesting to me how, when money becomes involved, it muddies the water.
However, I'm big into taking one day at a time so I'm not going to let some imagined future steal my enjoyment of today. In fact it's two imagined futures - 1. Where I get to succeed. 2. Where I lose that success.
Being fearful of something that hasn't happened and might never happen and which can't be protected against anyway (short of leaving Steemit) is nuts!
However, money - having it or not having is a very powerful seducer and fear generator for me and it helps to be aware of that.
One thing that I love about steemit is that it’s challenged my psyche in a lot of ways. In spite the bullshit, and sometimes BECAUSE of the bullshit, I’ve leveled up as a human. It’s forced me to get rid of expectations or at least challenge them. It helped me to realize I still have jealousy issues so I could start to root those out. It’s forced me to decide to an even greater degree whether or not to follow through with my principles or to “sell out”. I’ve learned more about people from it.
Yesterday was a challenge for me, I’ve managed to pull together almost $2000 in crypto funds thanks to steemit and was hoping to turn it into more so that I could move back to japan, something I’ve dreamed of but which has felt out of reach for a long time. So watching the numbers fall, I thought I may have to find a new way, and a clear path may not be open anymore. Today, the market is taking a double punch. I’m already over it though. I may find some more fear if there is some big bad news but I know I’ve already gotten a lot of the fear out of my system.
Embrace the challenges that arise, you will grow, not only on steemit, but as a person.
Glad you're already over the double punch. I have total faith you will get back to Japan if that is what you truly desire. It might not be in the time frame you want, but you'll get there.
And . . . I'm sure there are many exciting adventures you can't even imagine coming your way. In this little bubble of Steemit and even Crypto it's easy to forget that this is radical stuff. No way could it be a smooth ride.
We are Pioneers and I think, a bit like the early days of the internet, no-one can foresee the massive shift that this money rethink will have. Maybe not right now. Maybe not Steemit. But as @amariespeak says, there's no going back now.
Exciting times both personally and globally. 💛
Nice comment, could have been a post :-)
Thanks @buke. At the moment my comments seen to get more attention than my posts but I've been saving a few that I might at some point turn into posts. I could certainly elaborate on this one!
Don't worry man, crypto will recover till the end of January.
You rule, dude. This post rules. Gotta think about this stuff, face it, find what really matters, and not move on fear, but action.
Whatever happens, though, you said it. It’s already too late in the very best way possible. We already know something that was never dreamed possible by most is possible, and people’s self-limiting paradigms have been shattered for the better.
Value, innovation, and creation are our nature. We are prosperity machines when allowed to function freely. The cat’s out of the bag.
Cheers man.
love that "the cats outta the bag". :) it really is! So many people are realizing (in my corner of the US at least) that cryptocurrency is no less 'fake' than our dollar. It has opened up a whole new understanding of currency for myself and so many other people I know.
There truly is no going back now. It's exciting to see the tipping point swaying !
Yes! Our concept of money has already been changed and at the very least it won’t have the same control over us that it once did.
Thanks man! Your comment rules too, as do you!
Even if something happens and Steem no longer became a convertible currency, As long as steemit is up and running, I’ll be here, trying to make good things happen with the great people here. There’s always discord too. Just playing with what if’s, that won’t happen, Steem will be at $20 in no time.
Yes, I am prepared, mentally at least. Although it would suck a little, for a while.
As is the case with the crypto space: just pretending to be on a high all the time, without keeping in mind that things can go wrong (ignoring the red days and getting angry with anyone who tells it could come crashing down), the same goes for how we look at sickness and death - especially in the Western world. We tend to focus too much on life and too little on death. Life is good, death is bad. Sickness is sad. And so on. This makes many people very scared of death and when it finally - or should I say suddenly/ unexpectedly arrives - we often aren't prepared. Therefore, it hits us way harder.
We should always keep different scenarios in our head and while the 'good' times last, try to enjoy them to the fullest...
Perhaps I should start meditating on the possibility of losing it all, but I prefer to focus on the positives and keep the possibility of a total crash in the back of my mind.
Thanks for sharing this very important message, my friend!
Yes! If we can face the “bad” and the ugly, we see it for what it is, lessons and context, and it no longer has the ability to control us. It may even decide to stop coming to bother us.
Thanks for sharing the positivity. The reason I love steem is we get paid to create and get a chance at working the cryptocurrency system without having to invest real money. For me that's an incredible way to learn the crypto world with minimal risk.
Yes, I haven’t invested any fiat so I feel a bit more relaxed but truth be told, I like my steemit earnings and when it seems like they could potentially disappear, I can keep a cool head but it’s a challenge. I was also allowed to invest in crypto thanks to steemit!
I totally get you. I guess this really is a long-haul game.
Great post! People need to be smart - don't risk more than you can afford to if you're afraid of losing it all. This is not a get rich quick scheme - it is a revolution and there's no place for fear here! People tend to think there's an end game, a guarantee - but there isn't we're creating the future not rewriting the past :)
I, myself, have lived through homelessness, unemployment periods, scraping by just because someone lent me $5 to eat that day.. things can always get worse people!
I will continue to invest in STEEM and SBD because I believe cryptos will bring the change we are all screaming for. It's not gonna turn out the way anyone predicts so let go of the control factor and realize just by investing in cryptos you are part of the revolution (for now - we'll see if The Man cracks down and squashes it.. but if so, we'll pick up and try another avenue)
I’ve been through some of that too. It teaches you to do just what you say, let go of the control factor. Glad we learned our lessons and made it this far. I can’t wait to see what 2018 brings.
Well said. A friend of mine has gone on an binge eating spree to control his emotions over the market crash scenario. (I am not joking) I had to tell him that there was a similar trend last January as well, and before that. This year, the drop is higher, but it's okay. We have steem plunge down and rise up. So it's fine. It may take a few days, but they will all come back up again . And we know that if btc falls, it will take everything down with it. So we have to wait and play it easy. Panicking and selling is not the way to go.
Good article. Always something insightful here. Cheers!
He is going to gain a lot of weight today!
It’s times like these that I try to change my focus to the community we’ve built here and what potential may lie within it, even outside of cryptocurrency.
Indeed. In times like these, it is better to focus on whats good and keep working towards those. It is also a lesson that you must always save away some money so it will get you through lean times like these. It might be a small period of time that the crash is happening, but it is better to be prepared. You never know.
My heart sunk a little when I woke to this morning's numbers. Our portfolio was down 60% it recovered 20% and dropped again. We are Hodling and didn't invest anything we can't afford to lose so we have faith in the long run that every thing will be fine. Some will survive others won't. Our portfolio is still over double what we inital invested. Fingers crossed it stays above it.
That's the key. In the long term we're still net positive.
Don’t look at the market today X-D check again in 3 days and you’ll feel better!
Even this morning is better than yesterday. Lol... swings and roundabouts.
I'm not afraid of losing money. Money isn't all that important to me. I would like to have lots of it because I like success. But more important to me is living a simple and content life. Losing a bit of money here and there hurts my wallet, but not my soul.
I’m with you. I want lots of it so I can free all the power inside of it and give it back to people, where it belongs. I’d love to buy land and just invite people to do interesting things on it. First, I’d like to get out of debt.
It’s not the money I care about, it’s the freedom, and they aren’t not the same thing, but in society they are.
Great rallying post my virtual buddy!
:)
Through fear we can all be controlled and so we must face our emotions, as you say, and find peace with them.
Everything in our world is transient.
Change is the only thing that is guaranteed.
As such I intend to enjoy the ride and work towards gathering my eggs in various baskets.
In the end what will be will be and having already lost my advantage several times during my life and survived I recommend trusting that higher powers have your back.
With Love.
xox
Ahh same sentiments. I’m so thankful for the people I’m meeting here. I feel like a network of tribes have begun to form from this platform and I want to nurture them.
I just finished part 2 of this post, it’s a bit more ethereal, which is fun for me.