This might one of those "easier said than done" scenarios, but none the less something for all of us to devote some brain power to. We are taught from a very early stage in our life to value what we have, and there is nothing intrinsically wrong with this important lesson. But, I can see today how this message can plant the wrong mental seed deep within our physche.

Don't touch My Stuff!!! - The scarcity Mentality

   No one who values honesty will say they don't like owning stuff. It's normal, it's an ancient behavior that probably attached itself to our humanity to ensure our survival in times of extreme scarcity. It does not take a lot of imagination to think of how hard it must have been to secure resources 200, 300 years ago. But the truth is that in modern society we stopped killing each other for the best fruit tree long ago... or did we?

   I've seen lots of times people commenting on blogs, positive comments and not upvoting the post they claimed they enjoy. I must say, I don't really care too much about this myself, I value interaction and discourse more than an upvote, but I can't deny that It seems a little odd, or let's say silly, to say the least.

Here is a little example I found:

   I guess there could be a logical reason as to why, we need to save our VP. In the case of let's say whale accounts, they support many initiatives, thus it's important to spread the butter of both sides of the toast. But, and I could be wrong, I've never seen a single whale account ever make such a comment.

Unlearning the Poor Man Mentality

   I've said plenty of times that I'm not one to judge people by the size of their wallets, and I don't think I will ever change that position. But that does not mean I'm blind to people who think like a poor person. Let me be clear, I don't think that everyone who is poor, is poor because they deserve it, or anything that elitist. Some of the most ethical hard working people I've met in my life never had more than two nickels to their name. What I'm referring to, is the people who hold on to what the material possessions they have, as if this is the last vestige of fortune in their life.

   My late grandfather used to say "there is always the choice of adding more water to the soup" he was a man that truly lived what he preached, and never denied someone a helping hand, he never counted how many potatoes his plate had before he gave you one. For this reason and for many more, he was never poor, even if there were times he had no money. He was never hungry, even if he could not afford a good meal. You might read this blog, my words, and say to yourself "You must be exaggerating @meno" but I'm not, not even in the slightest. He never saw himself as a poor man, so he never was, and when his pockets were getting empty, there was always someone who loved him ready to add more water to their soup.

How do we unlearn things?

   I wish I could give you the pdf file that would change your life, but like most things, its not that easy. One of the reasons why P.A.L / Minnow Support Group resonated so much with me was because, that is exactly their mission. This initiative started by @aggroed and @ausbitbank has become my second home outside of Steem for the simple reason that aside from the fun, the shows and the giveaways (yes, they do those too) they teach people to think differently. They teach minnows to think big, to remove the blindfold, to learn how to be supportive of each other, to forget about the drama, the fights, the VP and all these things that belong in a world of scarcity, and focus on collecting true wealth, relationships.

   It's pretty obvious to me that not all of us can unlearn as the same speed. Many of our worries and anxieties have deep roots, and it will take time for us to get rid of them. But what I have no doubt in my mind, is that all of us can learn to think differently, all of us can learn to dream big, all of us can learn that by being supportive of your brother, of your sister you win a lot more than they do. That little vote of yours means a lot more than fragments of a cent you know...

I think you should join us... I really do

   And I say this specially if you are a little frustrated with how Steem is working out for you. This might sound a little fatalistic, a little tragic but it's not necessarily inaccurate.

You can't do it alone!

   If you've been reading my blog that might feel like it came from left field. I'm usually all about positivism, inner strength and inspiration. But this is not entirely out of character for me. There is a bigger picture we fail to see, if we can't understand this. I guess I can sum it up with one question.

If you write the best blogs in the world, and no one reads it, what did you gain?

   Am I sounding a little too tragic? maybe I am. But my intention is not to make you feel hopeless, but quite the opposite my intention is for you to take the first step into changing the chip, finding a way you can also learn to live the values that will truly bring happiness to your life.

I really hope to see you there... Much love