SUCCESS ON STEEMIT REQUIRES SERVING TWO MASTERS

ABUNDANCE AND FULFILLMENT

When I first came to Steemit I was intoxicated with the idea I'd make a boat load of money. Of course at the time (mid January of this year) cryptocurrencies, including Steem, were skyrocketing in value, so the idea was not absurd at all. I made .76 cents on my first post, which I've discovered was not too bad, but disappointing at the time. But I was not dismayed at all. I had found writers heaven - I could write and share my heart and get paid for it! It was bliss discovered. But alas, my euphoria was but a sand castle on the beach and waves of reality soon dissolved my dream. And then, weeks later, I discovered that to be successful on Steemit I must serve another master other than my heart. I must treat this opportunity as an enterprise, as a business. But how could I serve both the heart and the wallet at the same time? Was it possible?

A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

Serving the heart. I came to understand that for me to be happy and successful here it required a heartfelt dedication, not just in my writing and what I posted but in my other actions as well. I needed and wanted to have this same attitude of heart in my commenting, in my development of relationships and in my service to others. I realized that I needed my heart to be the source of energy, the wellspring, for this enterprise. And so I had to ask myself, 'Do I have an abundant heart? Am I able to embrace the world from a sense of wholeness, compassion and loving-kindness?'

I can only say that I must attempt to do so. I must continue to work on the development of my ability to love, and admittedly it is work. Challenging work. It does not come easily for me. But the wages of this work are, ultimately, far greater than any other pay I might receive. I discovered that this platform, this community, this world of Steemit offers an excellent place to grow and exercise the muscles of love. Without this foundation in my activities here all is moot, pointless, and just more rabid frothing at the mouth for bucks. Which thing I simply can't do.

But is this heart centered approach enough to succeed and prosper on Steemit? No, I don't think so. Certainly, for many the fountain of heart is essential and part of who they are and will drive them to great things. But one, in my opinion, must still be astute, aware, and engaged in sound practices and the practical reality necessary to succeed.

This then is the other master: the wallet...good sound business practices.

This is the formula for success I am following. Am I perfect at this? No way, but just like the heart it requires dedication, and work and exercise. Here is the formula as I see it:

1. Content. Good quality content in your posts. This is not only necessary for your own success but for
   the long term health and benefit of Steemit. Once we descend into mediocrity and content that smacks of spam we're finished. This dream will die.

2. Relationships. It is critically important to reach out to others and develop relationships. This can be done by contributing thoughtful comments to others posts or comments. One can find like-minded people through Discord communities, through searching on Trending, through following those who share similar beliefs and content. There are many ways to do this but all require dedication and reaching out.

3. Community. The first two activities above will get you to reputations in the upper 40's and even the 50's but one must take another step to move beyond this. One must engage in community. One must find like minded souls and join in and be supportive of each other. BUT there is one more critical step,

4. Service. You'll notice when you press the "shift" key for 4 the result is $$. Yep. This is where the money starts flowing. One must engage in service to others. There are numerous formal opportunities out there to serve, from reaching out to newbies to curating, to helping others to learn technical skills and even writing and content development. If you want to reach the higher levels of Steemit you must serve.

5. Technical skill. Oh my. This is my bane, my achilles heel, my ocean that must be crossed. But in order to move beyond being a Minnow or even Plankton status one must have technical prowess and skill. For most this is perhaps the easiest of all things to do, but for some it's a challenge, but one that must be met.

6. Observant. What? Observant of what? One must be aware of the kinds of posts, the attitudes and behaviors of others that have become successful here on Steemit. For instance spammy comments or content won't do. Cute posts on your kittens antics might get you far on YouTube but won't make it here. You might observe, for instance, that those who rocket into success usually are posting Dtube vids on "How to Rocket to Success". Many of the great ones focus their blog content almost solely on formulas and guides and programs to employ in order to be successful. I'm just being practical here and I do not wish to offend at all, but it seems to me that if you are posting on your love of alligator shoes and not much else you'll be terribly disappointed in your progress. Observe what others are doing that is making them successful.

7. Determination and Persistence. Oh yes. This is perhaps the most important requirement of them all. One must be determined and persistent. Steemit requires regular, consistent work. For most it will be necessary to learn and grow and develop skills and attitudes.

AND FINALLY

I'll tell you what you already know: most will not succeed here on Steemit. In fact close to 90% of all the people who sign up bail out. It's just not for them. And there are many reasons why. And it's OK. Disappointing perhaps, but OK. In fact none of us know what tomorrow will bring, so we do the best we can today, in this moment. Ultimately, in my opinion, only two things matter: do you love yourself, and have you come to love others? All else is just fluff.

Oh and one more thing: to be successful will require TIME. One must be very patient and persistent. In our "Come on down. Lets make a deal" culture this is a difficult thing to adjust to. But it will take time. Certainly there are some tech whizards who move much faster but for most of us it takes time.