(Me (right) with my bestfriend/girlfriend @randomli)

Initially, I had planned on writing a long introduction post, but I didn't want to turn away readers so I decided to divide my life and thoughts in these undeniably disjointed entries (woah, did I just unintentionally backronym "LATITUDE"??):

• The Perfect Cast
• Third Heat
• The Wisdom of Non-Competitiveness
• Second-Place Gold Medal
• Everyone's a Critic
• First Out the Door
• Of Being Great and Being the Best
• Life Realization From Climbing a Mountain
• The Calculus of Sucking Up (Or The Story of How I Passed My Differential Calculus Course by Writing a Letter)
• I, the Forgotten
• The Problem with One-Sided Conversations

I didn't want to force people to read my entire life, so I made them an optional reading. I wanted to make this a sort of TLDR of everything I've posted so far.

My profile photos usually have my back facing the camera because I always feel like the view is more important. I'm just a small cog in the huge machinery of the universe, and I feel like I'm just an observer of all the beautiful things it has to offer.

I've been described as a friendly introvert, as I've been known to be someone who interacts like an extrovert. Admittedly though, socializing really takes a huge chunk of my energy, and being open isn't second nature for me. I interact the way I do because I want everyone to feel included. That's a very important aspect for me. I've always been on the outs, socially speaking, so whenever I can, I try to make everyone feel like they belong to the group or the community, like they're never left out in conversations.

I like being goofy, and I like playing around. Life is full of ups and downs, so I try to squeeze every drop out of the positive moments. Whenever I can, I just try to bring humor to the world. Everything's getting so serious these days, might as well be on the lighter side of the spectrum.

I love helping people and just overall being useful. I'm a computer scientist by trade, a fiction writer and an acupuncturist on the side, and a full-time student of life. I love solving complex real-world problems, and I love making sense of seemingly disconnected data. As with my interests, I code in a lot of different languages, so if anybody needs help with anything or if anyone is hiring out there, just let me know and I'd be happy to lend a hand.

Whenever I create or do something, I always ensure that I make it heartfelt. I'm very passionate, and I try to approach everything like it's a masterpiece or it's the last thing I do it. I can't wrap my head around people who do things half-heartedly, it just feels like a huge waste of time and space.

Come for the story, Leave with some lessons

The way I've done most of my posts so far is that I tell a story, then I end it with the moral lesson of the story. That's how fairy tales did it for a hundred years, so who am I to break the mold? Seriously though, that's the only way I feel we could give advice to other people―back it up with a story from your own experience. You've already made this mistake, so why not share the lessons you learned so that others won't make the same mistake. Simple as that.

I am not or will never be an expert. Even if it costs me awesome job opportunities, I will never market myself as an expert of any thing. There's always something to learn, and you can learn from every thing, experience or person. The universe holds so many interesting things to learn from, it's almost impossible to not learn. Any master who never learns from a student is not a master at all. Admittedly, I would cease to exist the day I stop learning something new.

Moving forward, I plan to revise the format and streamline it a bit. My main goal is to promote interaction, and since I haven't gotten much (if any) conversations in my post, then it's time to recalculate my strategy on how I approach it.

Words flow through my veins

I've been involved with a few initiatives that aim to foster the growth of the #fiction community here on Steemit. These initiatives provide writers the opportunity to hone their craft and interact with a community of like-minded thinkers. Along with that, I've been going from post to post commenting and motivating other writers. Imagine, creating a whole world from one word or photograph, and getting feedback and monetary compensation in return. That's the exact definition of a "win-win situation" right there!

As a fiction writer, I know how hard it is to market and sell a self-published novel. Steemit provides you a means to earn for a chapter as much as you would earn for your entire book. That's already an untapped opportunity right there. While you're hard at work compiling a novel, your chapters are already earning for you.

I'm currently in the midst of revising my first novel, And Then Acid Fell, and would be making it available for sale here on Steemit. All the while, I'm also writing a Steem-exclusive novel that I'm hoping would raise money for a worthwhile cause.

It's been a rough road, filled with many interesting experiences. Thankfully, I haven't been traveling it alone. The love of my life has been with me every step of the way, so that's a welcome reprieve. Every creative mind thrives on inspiration, and I'm glad that I have one that supports all my ventures.

On Social Media Anxiety and my Steemit experience so far

Throughout my stay, I've been experimenting on which kind of post would garner attention. Admittedly, it's been quite discouraging. You spend a couple of hours trying to write an original post, muster up the courage to share it to the world, wait a few hours to see how it would be received, and then see that a tired meme, an unoriginal picture or a selfie is racking up 100x the number of votes and comments that you got. They get encouraged to post the same thing over and over, while you're left answering comments made by bots. I've already discussed my frustration in a couple of posts, so I won't elaborate much here This is not a rant, this is just a recap.

Apart from the monetary incentive, what lured me to Steemit was the promise of an engaging community filled with diverse personalities. Back when I had no social media accounts, my anxiety was mostly fueled by people forgetting me. Little did I know that Web 2.0 would snowball that right into an avalanche. I was a late bloomer because I was afraid of the social anxiety it would bring, even though I always joked that it was because I didn't want to leave a digital footprint.

Currently, I've experienced some ups, but a whole lot of downs. A lot of times it feels like Steemit is no different from the other social media. The adage "the rich keep getting richer" is very much prevalent. Don't get me wrong, I feel happy for all the success other people attain and bear no ill will against them. I just wish the wealth is spread. "Wealth" being not only upvotes but, more importantly, the interaction. I like commenting and promoting other posts because that makes me feel like I'm part of something bigger than myself. That's all I ever want. Like a pebble that makes a ripple in an ocean, and not a tiny grain of sand in a huge desert.

Moving forward

Since #introduceyourself posts typically get the most interactions, I'll decide whether or not it's right to still continue depending on the interaction this post gets. I've already spent too much time on this, that I don't want to be emotionally invested in something that I don't feel like I belong in. I have a few other posts I just wanted to put up, and then I might just call it quits. Out with a whimper, just like all my posts that have been thrown into oblivion.

I've recently discovered the #payitforward initiative started by @williambanks, and it seems to be what I've been searching for this whole time. The game, as it's being sold, relies on interacting with each other and cross-promoting posts. Personally, the way I view it is that it's more than just a game. It has the potential to change how Steemit works in general. Giving an emphasis to interaction, rather than monetary rewards, would yield more rewards in the future. I've been on a quiet mission these past few weeks, leaving thoughtful comments on posts and motivating unnoticed users because I want everyone to feel included. It has seen some success, validated with posts like this, but I feel I can't carry on alone. That's why I felt so relieved, because it's exactly what the whole initiative is built on, so I'm glad there are others who share my sentiment. So far, it's been a light that has shone in the dim tunnel, and I have high hopes that it would help a lot of people succeed in getting their posts out into the world.

Since I'm celebrating my birthday all through the weekend, I might take some time replying to any comments. Although, I do reply to every comment, and I appreciate any comment anyone leaves. Let's start a conversation. Let's prove that Steemit is all about acceptance, inclusion and, most importantly, interaction.