Surviving the chaos in the crypto world 🌋

Wow! I almost cannot believe how much has changed in 5 years. I went from having zero knowledge about blockchain and cryptocurrency to living it day in and out. I'm still no expert but now understand enough to navigate most of what is happening in this space.

It almost seemed impossible to think that my little hobby that began over on Steem would evolve into a new way of life on Hive. I couldn't have predicted all of this, but I'm glad I stuck around to witness it.

There have been good times and bad times, as with pretty much everything. I try my best to always focus on the positives, but not completely ignore the negatives.

Sure our original chain was stolen from us, but was it ever really our's to begin with?

A ninja-mined stake equaled inadequate distribution, which led to ultimate sabotage. A hard lesson was learned by many of us back then.

After that terrible pain was inflicted upon this community, it was time for a hardfork. Next, we would start anew and defy the odds set forth against us.

Hive's inception officially happened on Friday, March 18, 2020.

My 5-Year Hive Anniversary 🎉

I spent 838 days on Steem, that's just over 2 years.

I've been exclusively on Hive for 988 days, which is nearly 3 years.

In total, my account has existed for 1,826 days.

Today @daltono is officially 5 years old.

It's crazy to think that during this time I have been posting and curating content daily. It's hard to remember the beginning of it all, but I do recall posting almost every single day during the first few months. It wasn't long before I made the commitment to never miss a day and I've managed to stick to it.

At first, my upvote was worth nothing and curation was almost pointless, yet I continued. Now I am blessed to be able to reward other users for their effort.

It was very difficult to get discovered in the initial stages. My post rewards have never been and will never be guaranteed. As of present things are looking a lot better than they were when I first started.

Hive gave me my freedom back ✊

I've been at it so long that all of this has even given me the opportunity to take a huge risk and leave my old career. In November of 2021, I officially separated from my job and since then my main focus has been to create content here on Hive and interact with other people who do the same.

I am finally able to do the things that I enjoy and it is all thanks to Hive. I haven't been trading other cryptocurrencies or doing anything sly to earn my keep. Instead, I've just followed a path that I had carved out in my mind and then dealt with any and all obstacles as they approach. I've refused to give up during the supreme lows and try to never over-celebrate during the peaks of this paracosm.

I've seen many users and apps come and go here over the years, some even resurfaced to make a comeback. All along, I've kept going like a machine with no option to ever be turned off. I was and remain determined to escape my old life of being controlled and unable to live each day the way I wish to.

I'm happier than I was when I first started all of this. I guess that means committing to Hive was a good thing after all.

The biggest lessons that I have learned 📝

I could create an endless list of mistakes I've made or watched other people make. The number one thing is luckily something I learned early. Never leave your funds in the hands of someone else, because eventually, something bad will happen.

I had a feeling this second thing would be true, but it took many years to finally be obvious to me. Showing up regularly is essential to make a statement and being remembered by the community. Taking weeks off just isn't in the playbook for me at this point.

A third thing I learned is that Hive does not revolve around me. In fact, it doesn't revolve around any certain entity. It instead functions much like a bee hive. All of us work together to achieve a common goal that keeps us alive and well.

A final lesson I'd like to mention is that one should never be afraid to take profits. If you ever find yourself looking at your Hive wallet and thinking "This is more money than I could have ever imagined", then it is probably a good time to take some profits. Being 100% powered up all of the time makes it impossible to take advantage of pumps. Don't get me wrong, I like to have a lot of Hive Power, but if I'm going to live off of this stuff then I cannot have zero liquid funds. Sure, I believe Hive will see massive growth in the long term. However, the road towards that new level of success doesn't have to be without added gains.

Major shoutout to this community 👥

None of this would be possible if all of us were not in this together. Interacting with each other and supporting one another's work is what keeps this hive functioning at optimal levels.

I could never successfully list every single person that has made an impact on me, but trust me when I say there are many. If you remember me, chances are I remember you too. There are even community members who have yet to even discover me. This is one of many things that motivates me to continue.

I would like to take the time to thank each and every one of you. Without you, I would still be miserable at a job that did nothing for my soul. Instead, now I am alive!

Here is to 5 more years on Hive! 🍻