Thank You Steemians and thank you @Ned

Over the last several days, I have been struck by exactly how important a community Steem actually is. We all saw posting records being broken (shoutout to @guerrint and @roelandp), we saw massive increase in the currency's price, and the website got hacked (Yay!!).

However, in all seriousness, what I see here even in my very first week on the site is how much potential there is for growth and the kicker is that the hack solidified that potential and turned it up a notch.

Why?

For me, this is day 8 on Steemit, and even though I have been inspired by legitimate success stories such as @stellabelle, @donkeypong, and others, because they started months before me, it was harder to relate to them. I've learned a lot from them, as well as the influence some of the big whales can have if they like content.

The biggest moment as a baby Steemian has been watching the success of @heiditravels in the last week or so. She has inspired me tremendously to even think about contributing more frequently and her success has had the effect of me beginning to consider writing about my more personal stories.

I can honestly say that I've been inspired by everyone that I mentioned by name in this post in my first week, as well as by the work that everyone has produced. Often, the pieces I've read have been moving, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

That, then brings me to the silver lining that the hack was for this community. I believe that when something has the potential to change a paradigm, and shows proof of that potential, people take notice.

Along with users, content creators, and investors taking notice over the last weeks and months, unsavory figures may choose to take notice as well. When that happened, even though I was uncomfortable and even worried, I also saw this as a confirmation that I followed my instincts well, and the aftermath and the way that this was handled

Ultimately, then, I am super aware that I have learning to do and stories to tell. Until then, though, I wanted to write this to thank @ned for his transparency during the past few days when the community needed it the most.

I also want to thank all of you for welcoming me and every other new Steemian in with open arms.

Quality content is important and I hope that I can help to continue building this community for everyone after me the way that so many others did for me.

I. See. You

Universally,
Chaitanyaa Bhatt