There are so many amazing aspects of the steem platform, but if I were to focus on two, then these would be them… Firstly, for me personally – it is the amazing friendships I have formed through not only the @steemitbloggers community I founded in 2017 but just on the platform in general. If you look at other social media sites and how they operate, you are far more likely to make a few enemies through sharing your opinion or feelings than you are to make a friend lol – Steemit is so polar opposite in that respect and I love how opinion and expression are encouraged and (for the most part) openly received. Yes sure, there are politics floating around here too, but I generally steer clear of most of that anyway – not only online but in the real world too – however, to my experience, the engagement here is driven with a positive fuel and that is half the world’s problem, because everywhere else you look, it is driven by the opposite. Many may say that this is because of the reward system in place here, and yes that would be true to a degree, but much like anything else in life – and as I have made statement before, anything you practice often enough will become habitual and that includes positive engagement with those around you, no matter what the original reason for it was… and that, irrespective is a good thing – and through it, I have formed some really beautiful friendships.

Second in mention, but not second in place would be how this platform is changing the lives of people who needed it the most. Some who were in desperate situations, stripped of hope and saw no way out of the corners they were stuck in – are now able to hold power over their own financial futures. Even if the relief is a small one initially – every little bit counts and to my mind it is shifting people’s perceptions with regards to feeling trapped in “the rat race”. There is a strong wave of passion and enthusiasm which you can see developing as people start to realise that they actually CAN steer the direction of their future the way THEY want to. This is an incredibly exciting change in the lives of people worldwide and I am thrilled to be a part of that shift.

What are the 2 largest complaints I have concerning the Steem platform?

Honestly, I don’t have any complaints – but I do have one suggestion which I have raised a couple of times previously. It is not a massive thing, but to my mind, it would be a positive tweak. That is – a change in the way the resteem option functions. I think that it should have a split operation, so that you can decide how and where the resteem takes place. At this point your resteems only go back into the feed of the people who follow you, not the primary Steemit feed and in addition to that they are stuck on your blog too – which I know MANY people have an issue with, as it dilutes the appearance of their own blog and for that reason, are discouraged to “share” the work of others which really appeals to them... If however, the resteem button gave you the option to share it back into the main Steemit feed OR to share it onto your page and feed – it may encourage more “sharing”… and also exposure to those that do scout around the “new” feed. Or perhaps – another alternative would be an additional feed called “resteems” and that is where all of them are fed into because 99% of the time, content is resteemed because it is felt by someone to be worthy of more exposure and/or attention. Having a dedicated feed like that, could potentially eliminate a degree of the ”look a cloud” posts. Lol – Well… that’s my 10c anyway ;)

What 2 moments are the most memorable to me?

Oh wow!!! That’s a tricky one – there have been so many!!! I suppose the first one would have to be the very first member that joined the @steemitbloggers community back when I started it. I was so over the moon and simultaneously super nervous!! It was a whole new venture and I really was walking in the dark back then… I look at us now and we have come such a long way, established an impeccable reputation on the platform and it never ceases to make me grin from ear to ear when I see the amazing compliments we receive from the general public. I have had an incredibly focused vision for us since the beginning – one which has caused many people to meet “the other side of me” and my boot lol – but I have stuck to my guns the whole way through and proudly so, because together, we have built, and continue to build - a truly first class community.

Secondly, would have to be New Years morning… The beginning of 2018 marked a HUGE change for me with the decision to close my design and print business of 11 years and move into Steemit full time… it was a really big turning point in my life and when I woke up that morning and logged into discord, my now partner in the community @zord189 had gone and organised personal messages to me from our entire community – wishing me happy New Year and thanking me for the community itself. I was literally blown away and brought to tears!!! It was a very, VERY special day in my life… and now – almost a whole year has past – crazy!!! Haha!

What are the two most important lessons I've learned in my time as a Steemian?

Those are simple – well they are to me anyway, and warrant no detailed explanation.

1. Stay away from politics and negativity in the comments. – It NEVER sheds you in good light and seldom serves you well.
2. Never forget to reach out. You too were a 25 with an empty wallet and no clue once too.

Out of my entire time here, what 2 posts am I most proud of?

Hmmmm…. I don’t know that “proud” would be the associating word (for me anyway), but there are a few posts I have done which hold special memory for me… I suppose one would be an article I did almost at the beginning of my Steemit journey called Calculators to Crypto – the post itself meant a lot to me because of the message that lay within it, but it was also the very first post that I had upvoted by @curie – and I think that is no doubt a memorable occasion for any Steemian.

The second, would probably be when I decided to take a little trip down Steemit memory lane… and did a compilation of all my “Steemit related” posts called My Steemit Stepping Stones. It was a real eye opener for me in terms of the journey I had traveled up until that point. Sometimes when you stand where you are… you forget just how long it took you to get there and how much you learnt along the way – so sometimes it is good food for the soul to recall such.

In fact, this challenge holds much the same quality @snowpea. It really is a wonderful idea and I hope more people participate.

I would genuinely encourage everyone reading this to consider participating in this challenge as, like I said - it is wonderfully thought provoking for yourself and it is also a fantastic way to get a deeper insight into those around you. If you would be interested in participating, you can read the original challenge post HERE

And to continue the challenge, I am going to nominate the following people:
@zord189 • @raymondspeaks • @rwedegis • @claudiaz • @denmarkguy • @derekrichardson • @zen-art • @thekittgirl • @abh12345 • @iamjadeline • @traciyork

Until next time...
Much Love from Cape Town, South Africa xxx

_{FOUNDER OF THE @STEEMITBLOGGERS}

WHO ARE THE

The @steemitbloggers is a discord community of individuals who are committed to producing content which adds value to the Steemit platform. We are STRONGLY focused on supporting our fellow members individual growth as well as offering support to those that are new to Steemit and still trying to get ahead. We are a CLOSE KNIT community of individuals, each with our own strengths, passions and input, yet ALL willing to go the extra mile for our family members... WHY? - because, simply put - we CARE about one another and MANY HANDS make light work! - THAT is what FAMILY is about! - To infinity and beyond...

_{Interested in joining the Steemit Bloggers Community?}

INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING CURATION INITIATIVES?

@theluvbug regularly supports the Steemit community with upvotes and resteems of great content which is really adding value to this platform, but in order to grow and be able to offer MORE SUPPORT, @theluvbug needs your help - with upvotes and resteems of the latest curation announcements on that profile.

Oh, and if you wanna meet the
wannabe photographer in me...

Looking for some AWESOME Steemit Blogs to follow?

Check these peeps out...

@giantbear • @prostosun • @amalinavia • @nomadicsoul • @thekitchenfairy • @quillfire • @rebeccabe • @tryskele

_{There are way too many awesome bloggers to mention all at once,
so I will share different people at the foot of different posts.}