Let me share something you might - or might not - need to know. Unless you're a newbie 5+ years from now… in which case, yeah, you might actually need to know this. Because it's a rat race out here, and you're probably tired of swimming along with the masses, only to realise you're not really getting anywhere. That despite the company, you still feel isolated. That despite the motivational speeches about Steemit, you still end up uninspired, listless, and demotivated. Believe it or not, I'm still driven by the idea that we have to add value to make our tokens more valuable, rather than just focusing on accumulating as many tokens as possible. In the long run, this approach is actually good for the ecosystem - and it makes all the effort to make this platform more aesthetically pleasing feel all the more worthwhile. But there will come a time, while traveling down this digital road, you look back at your previous posts and feel like the creative juices have completely dried up. You start to wonder whether you should keep pushing yourself to create - or just wait for the dry spell to pass. But waiting too long has its own consequences. The longer you wait, the harder it is to get back on track. And suddenly, you're stuck between two equally frustrating choices: Keep creating just for the sake of staying relevant - and risk producing mediocre content. Or wait too long - and risk fading into oblivion just before your breakthrough. It’s moments like this I wish I were a Zen Buddhist - but I’m not. I wish I had the words myself. Fortunately, others do. And while this may not solve the problem at hand, it might just buy you time. And maybe that’s enough.

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTgBiupVDBhkzjXB1WQaZniKajmoQNPcaY2cJDM5PdYbH/image.png

Sometimes the answer is... a cup of hot tea. And that might be all you ever need.

*** I understand if this has turned out to be a boring read - not exactly compelling content, much less a profitable one. Maybe I should’ve written about how China sees Marxism - not as a theory of revolution, but as a theory of development. And how their success isn’t from renouncing Marxism, but from adapting and applying it in a way that suits their context. But that probably would've bored you too. Another dilemma. Never mind. But hey... the good thing about Steemit is I can write whatever I want, even if it turns out to be a complete waste of time. I think it wouldn't matter. People love fries and cheeseburgers anyway. And to be honest, it's kind of fun writing this - I guess that means I love fries and cheeseburgers too. This platform is still very much a rat race. Maybe I can't blame people for producing content just to produce content - it’s the easiest kind of writing, the kind that doesn't fuss over structure or grammar, and it works well as a marketing strategy because they're still rewarded for doing so. Staying authentic feels like a mammoth of a job when there’s so much pressure to be fake. Maybe that’s why tea feels like the right thing - it asks nothing of you but to stop.

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSBZL9id8KSzReysWufMT2oRPy3g2WTPCsbF1rVxWJY8m/image.png

Sources: [^{Images are excerpts from *Big Panda and Tiny Dragon* by James Norbury}](https://www.scribd.com/document/648761436/James-Norbury-Big-Panda-and-Tiny-Dragon-2021)