Source: Pixabay.com

The steem blockchain is the foundation on which steemit.com is built. Think about a building being built from the ground up.

Different blockchains have different properties/purposes, and there are other blockchains, such as NEO and Ethereum.

I like to view steemit as a mix of all your favourite social media apps, the major difference being that you get paid in a cryptocurrency, to do what you have been doing all these years for free! Ain't that cool?

Wanna earn your first cryptocurrency or just want to explore? There's no better place to get started than steemit.

It could be really confusing, as it was for me at a time, but you will get all caught up, gradually.

Steemit is more like the real world to a large extent.

I've travelled (digitally) to places I've never been to, learnt(British English, please!) about local delicacies I've never heard of before I joined, read content that mended my soul, shared in peoples victories/struggles, and also started the process of building an empire.

Taking a walk down the streets of your city or exploring, you will probably notice beggars on the sidewalk, thugs trying to jack people of their stuff, salvation preachers doing their thing, and in some other part of the city, gangsters and turf wars going on.

Oh, the conspiracy theorists, sport buffs, travel junkies and the food/health obsessed aren’t left out either.

And then there are the "Mother Theresa's". These folks are the selfless ones, and are the ones that keep a lot of folks going on/believing in the real world…..the same applies on here to a large extent.

Source: Pixabay.com
I'm not gonna lie to you; this isn't heaven and it ain't perfect.... But in the midst of all the gloom and darkness, there is always that shinning light that gives you hope.

Let me tell you a bit about the good stuffs I've seen on here.

There is this Asian lady, who unfortunately I cannot remember her handle. From her posts and what I could read from what people were saying about her, she was always there for people, and helped when she could-using her resources to take care of the needy. She became very ill, and it seems people were wondering why she hadn’t been blogging.
Luckily, her husband is a Steemian, and he dropped an update, informing her friends about what she had going on. You know what the beautiful part was?
The community rose up. Some made blog entries and sent all the proceeds to her, others sent what they could, and some others created awareness about what she was going through.

In another case, a couple on here are going through a tough time. The husband is battling with cancer, and it has been really really tough. It’s been draining both of them mentally, and you can see they are using all that lies within them to stay strong. The community has been very supportive and been a shoulder they can lean on.

And then there are some other amazing Humans of Steemit.

Source: Pixabay.com
@yoo1900 goes out of his way to curate content of minnows on a daily basis, to help them grow. He asks for nothing in return. (This was how I got my first break by the way).

@surpassinggoogle created the #ulog and #ulogs tags, to improve content on Steemit by getting people to share their daily experiences, with the focus being “U”. It has been a smashing success so far.

@lynncoyle1 is an amazing writer who gives me a lot of confidence and is selfless. She curates and also helps the little guys as well.

@hr1 hardly talks, but if you are a little guy and post good content, he will find you and give you an upvote-not once, not twice.

@whatageek runs amazing engaging contests, which have been a source of joy to me. I’ve also blessed his blog entries with one of my classics, as good as those of the artist of the renaissance. (you can see it below). He’s a great guy too.

@johndoer123 isn’t waiting to be a whale, but runs contests where everyone wins. Top top mate, he is.

What is left to say about projects like @ocd @steembasicincome, @asapers, @curie, @minnowsupport @minnowbooster ?
All these projects have one thing in common, and that is to support minnows(think newbies).
Check each and every one of them out.

@steem-bounty is also a project individuals can use to reward their followers that engage with their posts.

Most of them have actually been of great benefit to me.

Forgive me for digressing a bit, but seeing some good in humans always gets to me. These are some reasons to love Steemit, and believe it or not, for every one of these people, there are hundreds more out there, ready to help and ensure you grow.

And when you fall, you can be rest assured that there will be folks on here that will go out of their way to have your back and ensure you gain a foothold, even though they are going through travails of their own-that I can guarantee you.

This is the true beauty of Steemit, and a definition of the amazing community we have on here.

Source: Tegan Mierle, unsplash.com
Your journey is not gonna be a walk in the park either. True, there are cases where everything just fell in place for a teeny-weeny few, seeing you just might be motivated by visions/dreams of huge payouts.

Source: Pixabay.com
Be prepared for a dose of the Sunday night blues that might hit you so hard in your gut you might feel like quitting-It's just a reality check, and it's all part of the process.

I've been on Steemit for 48 days now, and I've met some really good people.
Like someone I welcomed on here said to me when she joined, "everyone is so nice here! I'm happy to be here."

Source: Pixabay.com
Indeed they are, and they will be waiting for you at the gates (#introduceyourself), cheering you on, and being guides, if you so choose to exercise the option.

Is it perfect? Not close.
Could it be better? If good folks like you joined, perhaps.

It's important to set goals and ask yourself why you are here, what you wanna get out of it, and then work toward those goals.

Source: Yukie Emiko, unsplash.com
You know what my personal goal is? Sustainability via Steemit, so that I can just travel, spend more time with my loved ones and do whatever I want, when I want.

You might also be wondering why I'm part of this community.
I think it's because inside all that filth as it is in our world today, there are still gems. This also holds true for the process for finding raw diamonds in the actual sense.

Source: Jon Tyson, unsplash.com
I've travelled (digitally) to places I've never been to, learnt(British English, please!) about local delicacies I've never heard of before I joined, read content that mended my soul, shared in peoples victories/struggles, and also started the process of building an empire.

These are things you can't really buy. They are experiences that aid our personal growth and define who we are.
It lets you know you aren't alone and that there are also people all over the world passing through the same trials.

Source: Mohamed Hassan, Pixabay.com
And when you fall, you can be rest assured that there will be folks on here that will go out of their way to have your back and ensure you gain a foothold, even though they are going through travails of their own-that I can guarantee you.

All you have to do is get out of your shell and be yourself. Look at me, I’m not the best writer out there (although, I do admit I’ve got some god genes in there that puts me on a pedestal sort of.lol), but I am not doing too badly.

I'm thankful for everything I've experienced during my short existence on Steemit. And hopefully, I'll have many more positive experiences rather than nasty ones. But then, the nasty ones are there to teach us and get us to grow.

If you are an old timer, keep on keeping on. A wise lady on here who became a dolphin in 8months told me it gets easier around the 4th month, so just do you.

Wouldn't you rather be part of something that could actually be great? Your country needs you! (cliché I know, just couldn't help it). It's time to get up and let your voice be heard. Don't be a statistic, be one of those that assisted in taking Steemit back!

Source: ThePixelMan, Pixabay.com

Oh, by the way, if I had to do it all over again, I would have joined Steemit when Alexander the great was conquering the world as a baby-faced 21 year old. (Fun fact: We share the same birthday-year aside, of course! Greatness recognises greatness, I tell ya. lol)

If that doesn’t resonate with you, screw you kim Jong-Un! (haha).

A special shout out to @abh12345, who is the brain behind this operation, I am just little old Pinky. You will do well to follow his blog to stay updated.

Now get outta here and make something happen. I need me some shut eye.

Source: Pixabay.com
Welcome to Steemit, freros et sœurs.

Peace and love to you all.

Santé.

Love my posts?

I'll be very glad if you...

Seems to be a thing on this side of the universe. :)

If you also have anything you would like me to write about? Drop some lines in the comments section below.

# PROUD ASAPer