"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." – Henry Ford

Hive is not simply a blockchain - it is a decision, a mindset and a like minded community that shares in the growth of such.

THE WHAT, WHY, WHO & WHERE OF IT ALL

These are my five...

WHAT

_{(What Hive offers you as an individual)}

What an absolute privilege having the freedom to write about anything my heart desires knowing that my memories cannot get lost and will live on forever here in the Hive and hopefully adds value to the platform.

When I cook and bake, I forget about all my troubles and that of the world!

I discovered very early in my Hive journey that I could share my world of cooking and baking by bringing people into the heart of my kitchen, and hopefully inspire new cooks into preparing delicious fuss-free home-cooked meals using ordinary pantry staples, as per my cooking style!

I further enjoy writing about my country South Africa and its natural wonders and sharing my personal experience on health issues with the focus on natural healing.

Something else I really enjoy is sharing my ups and downs of hosting guests from all spheres of life and all corners of the world as a BnB host post-retirement.

I'm hoping that one day when a great great grandchild wants to learn a little about his or her great great grandma, they’ll come looking for me on the world wide web.

WHY

_{(How Hive is different to other social media and blogging platforms)}

Why, as there is much more interaction here with fascinating people from all over the world with similar interests.

Many of my friends and acquaintances waste countless hours on Facebook, often sharing Fake news and the like, when they could be blogging here on Hive and get into the world of cryptocurrencies without having to invest a cent, as the saying goes, as I have done.

The added bonus was that Hive came to my rescue and patched a good couple of holes during our initial Covid19 hard lockdown when we had to close our BnB for just on three months and income from that source came to a dead halt!
Would Facebook or any other social platform have done that for me?
The answer is no of course!

WHO

_{(People & spaces you find Hive support and gain enthusiasm from)}

Who would have guessed that I would meet kindred spirits from near and far here on Hive?
I've joined diverse groups, been challenged by contests to think outside the box and do stuff I never thought I would be capable of.
Some of my current favourite communities are...

Powerhousecreatives – led by @jaynie and @zord189, make up the folk I see as my current Hive family. We meet up on Discord for chats and to support each other.
@jaynie is an amazingly strong lady who has continued to hold us together through thick and thin; I would call her the Queen Bee of PowerHouseCreatives.

OCD – led by @acidyo whose community is at the forefront of innovations here on Hive, always bizzzy curating and encouraging community growth on this amazing platform.

NaturalMedicine - led by @riverflows and @alchemage is a community that inspires and educates us on natural health. I have met some really wonderful people here who educate and encourage all of us with mindful and self-sustainable living.

Qurator was one of the first communities I joined and they continue supporting and providing inspiration with various challenges and themes; my current favourite of course being their Hive Top Chef! Contest with weekly themes.
It would be amiss of me not to mention someone who has been working relentlessly on putting together The Daily Qurator and that is @goldendawne.

Two very special friends who have been here to encourage from almost the beginning of my journey, are @ericvancewalton and @sultnpapper; the poet and author and the latter who is Here to share the truth, no matter how much it hurts you. These two gents certainly are no foodies but they are loyal, faithful and kind people whose friendship I really value.

I met @lenasveganliving and @plantstoplanks through #fruitsandveggiesmonday which has slowed down at the moment, but both ladies taught me a heck of a lot about vegan / plant-based cookery and challenged me to improve my food photography.

I’m a sucker for challenges and the ones I currently enjoy are #wednesdaywalk and #makemesmile, #hivetopchef and #alphabethunt, so a huge thank you to @tattoodjay, @elizacheng, @qurator and @barbara-orenya for keeping these going through lockdown!

I have to mention my fellow countrymen @fionasfavourites, @joanstewart and @papilloncharity, (@jaynie also is from SA if you didn’t know), all inspiring with food, nature and wonderful photography showcasing the beauty of South Africa.

Then there are times when it feels like I’ve won the Lottery!
Every...single...time I get a surprise visit from @ocd/ @ocdb/ @acidyo, @darthknight, @blocktrades, @gringalicious, @curangel and...and...and...I could go on and on as there are many others who add bonus earnings to my posts; all real Angels who feed us little Bees here in the Hive; kindness such as this is a rare trait in this world of ours!

WHERE

_{(The front ends / dapps of your choice and why)}

Where does all the action take place?

Discord is where I meet up with friends from the various communities.

Peakd is my favoured portal through which I blog as it is very user-friendly - editing text is a breeze, make templates, save drafts, schecule posts and of course posting to communities.

Travelfeed is great for starting one's own travel blog; posts show up in search engines from the start and their curators spot quality posts which is a big plus for new bloggers whose travel blogs could otherwise be missed.

HaveYouBeenHere is an innovative social media travel app which tracks and shares one's travels with fellow travelers from all over the world. This app also makes writing travel posts much easier as the info is stored on the app.

Pinmapple enables one to pin one's posts on a map by generating a code for the location.

#THRIVEONHIVE

_{(My final thoughts & conclusion)}

To Thrive on Hive is something that can happen to anyone joining here, but it requires passion, hard work and much patience!

I have grown in so many ways; yep you're never too old to learn here, and on Hive that old saying You can't teach an old dog new tricks, certainly does not hold true!

I often bumble my way around, but with the help of many here and on Discord, I have learned a heck of a lot, am now totally hooked on Hive and get really frustrated when my day runs out and I've not been able to sit down and write a post!

I have not become wealthy but Hive certainly saved the day when my BnB income dried up during our hard lockdown with the interaction keeping me sane.

Importantly, I've become rich in experiencing this blockchain site and getting to know all the bizzy bees working hard in this Thriving Hive system which has opened up a whole new world to this little bizzy bee!

MY SHOUTOUTS

_{(Tag 5 people to join in on the fun!)}

I would love to see the following friends join #THRIVEONHIVE:

@ericvancewalton – The poet with vision.
@sultnpapper – The one who tells the truth no matter what!
@carolynstahl – Amazing talented adaptable Foodie.
@farm-mom – Foodie, gardener and all-round best friend of many.
@papilloncharity – Passionate about helping those in need and amazing photographer.

TO THOSE JOINING IN....

1)Create your own selfie with the tag #THRIVEONHIVE - similar to the headers you have seen.

2)Copy the same post format and insert your OWN feedback and insight under the relevant headings.

3)Tag 5 people to join in!

4)If you are on Twitter... share your post using the tags #thriveonhive #powerhousecreatives #hiveisalive #hive

1. Use the following tags on your post: thriveonhive, powerhousecreatives, hive (additional tags up to you)

2. PLEASE PUBLISH YOUR POST TO THE POWERHOUSE CREATIVES COMMUNITY FEED – IE. https://peakd.com/c/hive-114105/created