Eternal waves were splashing away as sunshine and shadow painted themselves on me. Time stood still. But things.. they're just happening as we speak. They're in motion even as I'm laying down here, under a tree, doing nothing but.. feel. As I drift into the twilight, the lullaby of leaves reminded me that Earth is spinning on its axis, dancing around the Sun, swimming in a never-ending sea of space stuff.

But those were not just waves of the aquatic variety. It's also the kind that you can almost hear in the background, building with all the impetus of a crescendo. A substream that could soon take over the world by storm. Some consider it to be the single greatest wealth distribution and societal disruption in the history of mankind. All we need to do now is to spend some time building and using decentralised platforms.

Anyone can give you a different narrative to "What on Earth is Happening?" because there's just so much going on. But I'm the kind who likes to follow technological progress. It's what leads society. And being at the edge of the market before it truly becomes mainstream is where I think most of us would want to be at. So you might be new to this once-in-a-lifetime crypto-craze, or you might've been around long enough. What's the best way forward now, you might ask? I've always liked easy, minimal guidelines to follow, so here's my top 5 things to do:-

1. Diversify

Cryptocurrencies are all about decentralisation and Bitcoin is not the only game out there. People all around the world are into different things. Sometimes projects slow down, sometimes it gets that rocket boost. So don't put everything into one basket. Spread it out, even if it's like just like $10 for a certain coin. You'll never know if it'll turn out to be $10,000 in a couple of years. Diversify into some non-crypto related stuff as well. Do your research.

2. Futurise

Spend some time studying the future of things: renewable energy, 3D-printing, autonomous consumer drones, sustainable eco-communities, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and yada yada. Focus on your interests, expand them, and find ways to merge them with the industries of tomorrow. The fact that you're already on Steem is a good move into futurising part of yourself. Some old ideas that couldn't work in the past might very well work in the future. So make your move.

3. HODL

If you have to sell some of your coins to realise some profits, try not to sell the whole lot. Leave some at least. This is a very huge common mistake. Buy low, sell high, or HODL. It works. Personally, I fully expect the market to go to insane levels. We're talking about a huge fundamental shift in how society operates. Cryptocurrencies as a whole could very well surpass beyond $10 trillion in total market capitalisation. But that's just me. I'm very bullish. HODL also means consistent work on your interests, whatever they may be.

4. Reputation

Don't cheat and scam your way into riches, obviously. Other than having others distrust you, it could also damage your own self-perception over the long run. Self-esteem can affect the way you interact with the world. So uphold your principles and integrity. Keep up with your words and spend time building your reputation as a trustworthy collaborator in this new world. Everybody's growing together. Don't leave an opening for others to destroy your reputation.

5. Security

No point trying to capitalise on the rise of cryptos only to get all your cryptos stolen or getting locked out of your precious wallets in the future. Study how to secure your stuff over the long-term and implement whatever suits your style. Don't wait. Do it as soon as possible. Also try not to rely on 3rd parties if possible, but that's up to your assessment if the 3rd party is trustworthy. I'd personally try to avoid if possible.