In this past year a succession of some epic things have happened in my life. As I have mentioned before, I chased after success as a writer for almost two decades. Only after every conceivable door was slammed in my face and I still decided to write for the love of the craft did the doors begin to open. The thing that has become apparent to me this spring and summer is the real work begins when the success that you thirst for is attained. I can’t believe now how much more there is left to do at the end of every day but it is absolutely worth it.

All of the ups, the downs, and bouts of drama that have ensued in the past twelve months here on Steemit have taught me a lot. You can find whatever you’re looking for here, it's a true microcosm of the real world. Yes, the critics are correct in that there are crap posts, scammy comments, trolls, and every shade of (pardon the term) mind f*#kery imaginable…such is life.

But you know what? You can also find amazing content on Steemit, insightful comments, generous and helpful members, and a real cohesive community. I don’t see the latter anywhere else on social media right now. The real question is -- which kind of Steemit experience do you prefer? Once that question is answered, shower that content with your positive attention, upvotes, and most importantly resteems. Elevate good content ever higher on the trending page. This is how we shape the platform for the better.

The most important aspect of Steemit isn’t the money, it is the strength and richness of the community itself. Somehow, I hope we can maintain this sense of community as we attract more members. Voting with your attention, I feel, is the best way to insure we maintain our integrity.

This place has led me to some wonderful opportunities and souls. The list would be TLDR if I listed them all but, today, I would like to highlight one person in particular. I first wrote about Leon in February. In my article The Antidote to Negative News explained how I was impacted by his Netflix series The Kindness Diaries enough to contact him to thank him for his work and to ask if he would be willing to do a short interview with me.

To my complete surprise, Leon agreed to let me interview him (you can read it here.) He also endorsed my new book on meditation, The Perfect Pause. After my interactions with him I thought to myself, “Here is a someone who truly walks the talk.” At my age I realize how rare of a thing this is, someone who walks their talk.

What also struck me most about Leon was he was living the kind of life I have always wished to attain…world travel, experiencing other cultures, writing, and helping others. My wife and I plan to embark on a very similar transition soon. This will be a simple life where dreams and aspirations completely eclipse our fears, boundaries, and worry. Eventually we might get tired and want to put down roots but, for the moment, we can think of no better way to spend the next twenty years of our lives.

To kick all of this off I’d like to announce a very important initiative that we will be bringing to Steemit soon. We’ll be working with actor Edward Norton’s fundraising platform Crowdrise, to help raise money for Leon’s favorite charity, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Leon has donated two autographed copies of his latest books, The Kindness Diaries and Live, Love, Explore and I will donate two signed copies of The Perfect Pause. We will offer these books as a bonus, randomly, to those who contribute. The truly exciting thing is this is only the beginning.

It’s time to show the world what great things our Steemit community is capable of. I encourage others to follow in our footsteps. Thank you for reading! More details about this initiative are soon to follow.

*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.

My new book on meditation, The Perfect Pause, has been discounted to $12.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (eBook) for a limited time. Buy the paperback and receive the eBook for free!

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