It is now mid-December year 2020, and I am scheduled to work during the Holidays again like the last couple of years.
I joined Steemit in the middle of the rainy season three years ago when Steem and Steem Dollars were priced at about a dollar. It was such a blessing. I was earning a decent amount of money working in the Business Process Outsourcing industry, and am able to provide well for my family. I have always wished for some form of extra income however, primarily to enable me to buy things that I really want for myself and my family that did not fit into our budget.
I was skeptical at first. Now that I think about it, I was skeptical throughout my whole Steemit journey until now that I realize what I have been missing on. I've been cashing out almost as soon as as I claim the Steem Dollar author rewards. I was ecstatic when the price of SBD ranged from $10 to as high as $17 towards the end of 2017. I remember how I managed to buy an i7 laptop, an iPhone X, and funded a 4 day vacation for my family in an expensive Boracay hotel all out of my Steemit rewards. I was telling all my friends about how they too can do those if they join Steemit, and many of them did join.
It was only in early 2018, after I've been in the platform for half a year when I learned that not only can one cash out the SBD rewards - there is powering down to take out cash from my accumulated Steem power. At that point my Steem Power was up to 1000, and my upvotes at 100% are worth $0.25. I did not care much about the value I can give back to the community though, and thought more about how at $6 per Steem I can be $6000 richer. That is the equivalent of my annual salary. So I powered it all down and bought a second-hand car in 13 weeks.
Summer of 2019 when my friend John who signed up to Steemit because of my endless effort to convince him, handed out his resignation letter. He only joined at the start of 2018 when I've already been in the platform for seven months. Aside from being a brilliant writer, he valued powering up when he can. At the time of his resignation he was already dolphin. With 10000 Steem Power, his upvotes at 100% ranges between $10 to $12 then when Steem was ranging at $18 to $20. Because he really engaged with the community he's found himself a number of supporters, that he is is able to support in return with his sizable Steem Power. Because of powering up, his reach within the community compared to that of mine got wider and wider.
He also took a keen interest about the technology behind Steem and other blockchains, learned cryptocurrency trading, and with accumulated knowledge started investing on ICOs - all learned from his Steemit engagement. He continued to power up to this day. He is now one of the well known Steemians from my country, a sought after supporter by newbies, and has full control of his time having maintained a home office where he does all his activities related to Steem, and other cryptocurrency.
I have gotten a couple of promotion since John left, and I am now earning twice as much when I first learned about powering down. I am grateful for the organization for the raise, and the trust they have given me. With the additional responsibilities however, I am unable to spend as much time with my family. I am still in Steemit, and am now trying to accumulate Steem Power, at the current price however, it gets difficult to get much - I should have done this from the start. I still view John's activities, and yes his wallet often. His Steem Power holding is now worth what I can make from my job in 115 years.
Please note that this is a fiction story and should in no way be taken as an investment advice. I am not a financial expert and am not qualified to give such advice.
I am advocating powering up based on my opinion built upon my own experience in Steemit. Here are some other post I wrote on the subject:
What I Bought with My Steemit Earnings
2017 Steemit Personal Year End Review #1: Statistical
Steemit Business Intelligence: Reputation, Posting Activity, & Steem Power Correlation
💵 STEEM is a Currency of LOVE ❤
Credits
Cover Photo Background - Pixabay
Laptop & Phone Image - Pixabay
Grey Car - Wikimedia
Plugged Electric Car - Pixabay
Home Office - Pixabay
