This morning as I walked out in the snow covered fields of sage with my dogs I contemplated Steemit. As they chased scent of rabbit and coyote I pursued thoughts in my mind just as luring, just as real. And so it goes on many of our walks together. They experience an expanded reality of smell, a veritable world I have no access to, while at the same time I leap into a reality of spirit where I listen to trees, know the Presence of mountains, and walk over vibrant energies flowing beneath my feet. The dogs and I do well together in this world so full of Life. Two realities, theirs and mine, but both from the same Source.
Just like Steemit I thought: two realities. And yet in the world of Steemit I experience both. One of spirit and one of survival. What the heck is he talking about you might ask. Let me explain. When I first came to Steemit about 6+ weeks ago I came because I was lured by the scent of money. Isn't that true for most of us? I found a world that mirrored the one we physically live in day to day. A world that very simply and bluntly rewards the fittest. Survival of the fittest. A world of whales and dolphins and minnows. A world where plankton drift in legions and are frequently lost without ever having their individual voices heard. I found a world where those who were wily and canny and even cunning thrived, while the less capable made up the masses. I found myself quickly assimilating strategies that would hopefully lift me to the rank of minnow, and dolphin and perhaps by some miracle even to that of Whale. I would be one of the survivors.
I discovered I could look at the blogs of those around me and see their reputation scores along with their wallets, and then I looked at the date they signed up and pondered to myself: hmnnn....could I do that? Could I, one day, actually make a living from my work here on Steemit? (That was my goal you know). As time passed I began to wonder if I could stay the course. Last night as I reviewed my progress here I thought to myself that I was doing OK, but I also realized that I could also drift away like the forgotten plankton. I wondered how many of those listed as followers on my blog were not even here anymore... even after 6 short weeks. Would a cruel understanding of reality confront me today telling me to shut the computer off and find a different path? Would I come to understand that I was not one of the fittest, that I would not survive? Frankly, if survival requires me to become a money grubbing lunatic then... well, it's Hasta La Vista, Baby. I've retired from that path, which never worked well for me anyway. Then I asked myself, can I be who I am, can I come from my heart, can I find a path that allows me the freedom of expression I seek without compromising my integrity and
still be able to prosper, AND be able to do it sometime before I turn to dust?
I think it's possible. I'm finding others of like mind who want to create another possibility, another paradigm, a way to cooperatively work together for the benefit of each other, for the benefit of the community while at the same time celebrating the individual. Lifting, supporting, sustaining, encouraging. What incredible actions and behaviors! Is it possible to transform our eons-long struggle for survival into a cooperative effort that respects and lifts the individual? Can it be done here on Steemit? Oh sure, lots of "isms" have been tried by governments hostile to the fools they claim to represent and care for...and all have failed. (But that's another story).
I list my deepest individual yearnings. Perhaps they are yours too.
- I long to be known, to be valued and appreciated
- I want to be part of a vibrant, caring, sustaining community
- I want to be wise, and yet be full of humor and joy
- I have a yearning to belong, to love and be loved
- I hope to come from an Abundant Heart
- I hope to be able to thrive and prosper financially
Pretty simple list isn't it, but in the history of humanity a dream that is infrequently realized. But I ask, Why not here? Why not now? Can we not work together in peace? Is this the dream of old fools like me that others snicker at? Is this possible for humanity that has reigned as the supreme predator having Biblical "dominion" over all the earth? So many have tried and failed to make this dream reality. What do we have to do to change that?
I believe it is imperative that we try, that we realize a transformation of heart and mind, not just for the health and longevity of Steemit, but for ourselves, for the larger reality waiting for us outside of this world we create here. This attempt to create a new paradigm is in itself a survival strategy, for if we do not, I believe Nature, God, Source... will not much longer tolerate our vanity, our ignorance, our narrow minded waring behaviors. Ah, but I tread on thin ice here: no one wants to hear my most dreaded thoughts.
Let us then become Creators of a thousand communities within the world of Steemit. Each sustaining and lifting up the individual. Let us do so from the Abundant Heart.
Blessings.
