I cannot speak for anybody other than myself when it comes to the levels of seriousness shown with regards to becoming a valuable part of the Steemit community, but the way I see it – if that ISN’T your primary objective here, then you REALLY ARE wasting your time – and everybody else’s for that matter…

I have not (as yet) invested any of my own money into Steemit - I started with nothing and have earned my way up to what and where I am now… and let me tell you… it is hard work! – LOADS of fun and a massive learning experience too, but plenty of effort is required… and as far as wallet value is concerned, I don’t even have that much in the grand scheme of things either – HOWEVER…

This is of no consequence to me because that aside, I have gained something FAR more valuable from Steemit than what is sitting in my wallet…

Every step along the way of my journey so far, I have been given support, advice, knowledge and insight from people that were once strangers but whom I would now consider friends. I have NEVER had this kind of uplifting engagement with people on ANY other social media platform, EVER! And from what I have gathered in the almost three months that I have been here is that, the “real” people of Steemit, are simply not interested in anything other than HONEST engagement and WORTHWHILE contribution – and I think that is the way it should be!

I had no intention of coming here and posting “rubbish” – I have made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion and on several posts, that I joined this community because I believed it would be a constructive and well-fitted platform for me to share my writing, which for the most part is motivational / inspirational and aimed at assisting others with their “dilemma’s or issues” through the sharing and dealings of my own.

I will be honest in saying that I DEFINITELY underestimated JUST how MUCH impact I would make in the lives of those around me, in such a short space of time! I have been repeatedly blown away at the amazing feedback that I get on most of my articles… and yes, I am referring to the GENUINE feedback. Lol

I am an emotionally driven individual, so what I write about has often been spurred by an incident, memory, conversation or the like. There is a huge amount of time and creative effort that goes into the compilation of one post and I take my time with the things that I share with all of you. I am somewhat of a perfectionist by nature and that coupled with being a graphic designer by trade, it is important to me too, that apart from the content I write being of value, that my posts are aesthetically pleasing too… so with the limited knowledge I have in terms of “formatting” here on Steemit, I do my best to keep it looking good.

Apart from absolutely loving the engagement with others on my posts themselves, I REALLY enjoy the time I spend scouring the various feeds…new/hot etc. and engaging with those around me. In fact, I would go as far as to say that… if I have managed to be particularly organised and have my post “ready and waiting”, one of the best parts of my day is kicking my shoes off, planting my rear end on my couch and seeing what the various feeds have to offer for the day…

I have met SO many AMAZING people this way – people I would NEVER have otherwise crossed paths with. All because I took the time to click on their post and see what they were sharing with everyone… and then starting a conversation with them.

“Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give.” ― Ben Carson

All of these things that I have mentioned – the thought, the creation, the writing, the time, the commenting, the reading, the engaging, the sharing etc. are (to me), all integral parts of a whole. Put together, they are the elements which make someone a valuable member of this community.

Well, that is how I feel anyway.

So, whilst I do not at all consider myself a “know it all” on the subject of Steemit, I have acquired at least a little bit of knowledge along the way (I would like to believe anyway…lol) and my advice to those just stepping into the arena would be as such:

Decide why you are here!

Because this, for the most part is a community of upstanding individuals, who work hard at their contributions and focus quite seriously on adding quality content to the platform.

If not to add value, then why are you here?

If not for the passion of it, then why are you here?

If not for the community and friendships, then why are you here?

If not for the knowledge gained, then why are you here?

If you are driven by the earnings alone and aren’t prepared to put in any real spade work, then you are not going to go anywhere either – not anywhere truly sustainable anyway…

In all areas of life, respect is something that is earned and I think we all know the “do’s and don’ts” of respectful behaviour in the real world, don’t we?

We all know how “give and take” works, don’t we?

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ― Winston S. Churchill

If you want to be treated respectfully and shown appreciation, then you need to reciprocate those qualities. If you want to add value to someones life or to something that you are doing, then you need to give of yourself - REALLY, give of yourself!

People quickly see the wood for the trees, and the reality of the matter is - if you don't put your first foot forward CLEARLY stamped with integrity and honest, visible intention - then people will form their opinions, make their judgments and move on... regaining their interest after that is twice as hard!

So don't squander the initial opportunity to REALLY offer something of value here.

Make an effort! Go the extra mile! Think about what you are contributing! Give the community something to CHEW on!

Sacrifice of self is ALWAYS rewarded!

What started out as a something I was casually enjoying has very quickly developed into an absolute passion (borderline obsession actually... hahaha!!!) and there is no question that the time and effort that I put in to this community is returned to me ten fold - time and time again!

“Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return.” ― Roy T. Bennett,

So go do it... and do it PROPERLY! ;)

On that note... let me sign off, I need to start prepping my "Happy Hippie Post" for the day

Happy Steeming folks!

Don't just learn, experience. Don't just read, absorb. Don't just change, transform. Don't just relate, advocate. Don't just promise, prove. Don't just criticize, encourage. Don't just think, ponder. Don't just take, give. Don't just see, feel. Don’t just dream, do. Don't just hear, listen. Don't just talk, act. Don't just tell, show. Don't just exist, live.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Until next time...

Much Love from Cape Town, South Africa xxx

#thealliance