Striving for Balance: a personal story. (And a big welcome to newbies on Steemit!)

I have a problem. I want everyone to be happy.

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This is, obviously, out of my control and unrealistic. Other emotions are important, and we are all human. I’m not always happy (not even close). And being happy 100% of the time isn’t really what I mean.

I just want everyone to be okay. To know they’re appreciated, that they matter, that their contribution is important, and that we’re all in this together. I’m talking about life in general here, but this definitely applies on Steemit, a platform that encourages this kind of attitude. Hooray!

I’m horrible at competition. I mean, I’ll try to win, but I’d rather everyone else won, too.

Can’t we all get prizes? You showed up? You get a prize. If you tried, you get a prize. You did your absolute best? Prize, prize, prize!

Make an effort, do what you can, be who you are, be good to others, continue to evolve, and I’m gonna cheer you on. Go you, you’re awesome!

That’s what I feel like Steemit encourages, especially with the help of groups on Discord.

I love it here. :)

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But I have another problem. I wish I could greet all the newbies on Steemit with a grin and 1000% enthusiasm!

Can’t do it. Not even close. I only can visit a handful of posts when there are thousands signing up! So if you’re new here, and you’re reading this, Hi!!! Welcome to Steemit! :)

On with my “wanting everyone to be happy” issue.

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I want everyone in the world to have equal footing, more-or-less. I mean, I think we all have to contribute, but contributions could just be what people are inspired to put forward, to offer their skills to the whole. I think @adsactly functions off this model, and I’m sure there are other groups/societies that do so on a broad scale. (If you know of any, feel free to mention in the comments! I’m still learning so much!)

Something deep inside of me yearns for equality, always has. My heart wants everyone to have respect for each other, and respect for themselves.

All of us live on the same planet. We have enough resources—if we work together—to feed everyone, to educate everyone, to encourage each person and family and city and continent to thrive.

Me? I spread positivity because I want to inspire others, I want to help uplift the collective human experience. It all ripples out, you know?

I love this planet.

I want us all to thrive. If we could stop judging each other, stop competing with each other, and just work together…

This goes through my mind a lot.

photo: Nat Anfield. Shot at one of my yoga classes.

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Yoga is the way you live.

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I’ve studied yoga for — yikes — eighteen years now? I’ve been a teacher for twelve years. Yoga guides my every day life, even if I might only get twenty minutes on my mat.

Yoga is mindfulness. Mindfulness asks us to be present, to acknowledge the way we live and how it affects others, and to refine ourselves: to find balance that allows for freedom of self and harmony with others. It is a constant practice, never a perfect thing, but a worthy aim to have as a guide.

I’m still learning how to let go better. How long do I have to practice this? Oh right, my whole life.

My wanting-people-to-be-happy problem is helped immensely by yoga. Empathy is a blessing and a challenge. It isn’t up to me how others respond, or how they live. All I can do is allow others to do their thing, keep being me, and hope by shining as bright as I can, I inspire other people to do the same.

I know, at least, that every peaceful thought, every moment spent in a loving vibration, I’m also sharing that vibration with the planet. Everything is interconnected. So I choose happiness — joy — as often as I can. And I know it ripples out. :)

photo: Nat Anfield

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Note to Newbies / Why I dropped this post in #introduceyourself:

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I’ve been on Steemit for almost a month now (so if you’re new and your post doesn’t have many votes or comments yet, don't worry. I’ve made friends. You can too.) I put this post here because it’s me sharing a key part of who I am, but also because I wanted more people who are new to Steemit to see it.

We’re so glad you’re here!

We are. I’m speaking for many Steemians when I say that. There are some awesome people blogging and curating on Steemit, and helping newbies is a big priority for lots of them.

Here are a few Steemians I’ve found who are making Steemit a nicer place for newbies: @randomwanderings @topkpop @thekittygirl @davemccoy @sykochica @carlgnash @curie @ocd.

Check them out. Give them a follow if you like their stuff. (@curie and @ocd are curating groups. Study the posts they curate to see examples of high-quality blogging.)

There are also people who sponsor newbies, such as the #adoptaminnow initiative.

If you want to know more about earning money on Steemit, @ameliabartlett just wrote this awesome post.

Tip: When you read something you like or find a person you want to interact with (maybe a new friend), hit the reply button and leave a thoughtful comment. 💖

I have three bits of advice:

• Have fun! Really. Be genuine, be yourself. Be good to others. Learn a little every day. But you’ll be doing these things if you just have fun, right? So, have fun! :)
• Post quality content. If you post a photo, write a little story or contemplation to go with it. Make it look good. Contribute something worthwhile (meaningful, funny, whatever) to the world of Steemit. That’s what it’s about. The higher quality content you put out, the more likely people will support your blog.
• Make friends. Find your tribe. Comments are where it’s at, and Discord rocks! (Discord is fun. I didn’t know anything about it at the start, but you learn a little bit each day.) Support people, and they will start to support you (follow steps 1 and 2).

There are tons of communities to join.

Read people’s posts, and if they have banners at the bottom or use tags such as the ones below, you can click on the tag to find content from members of these communities. Look around, or ask someone, to find out how to join communities you find interesting.

#teamgirlpowa #steemsugars #thealliance #steemusa #teamcanada #adsactly ... there are so many more!

💖 Thank you for reading!

If you’re new and you read this whole post, please say hello in the comments. Tell me something about yourself, or your thoughts on this article. Maybe drop your intro post link there. :)

If you’ve been on Steemit for a while, please help me greet new minnows, if you're inspired to do so. If you're part of a supportive community here on Steemit, feel free to let us know about it. :)

Whoever you are, wherever you are, I wish you joy and peace.

Take care of yourself. You are a gift!

Peace. @katrina-ariel