Very real narrative... I find this very motivational.

Congratulations on your steemit success ! 

To the 2 lucky chaps you will be sponsoring to steemfest. Cheerios!

Getting regular whale votes is certainly helpful, I wouldn't complain lol, but you would not have gotten them had you not worked. You earned what you have because of action, diligence, and work. Now you are helping others you own way, like the whales helped you.

Your story is very motivational. Thanks for sharing. These days I'm also facing a very difficult situation. I am in need of some serious help. I've been thinking whether to create a post about my situation or not. But I think I am too proud to ask for help. Maybe no one would care. I don't know what to do. What I am trying to say is your stories help me keep going and not give up.

It's easier to make a purpose & get what you want than to deal with your feelings & be at peace.

Both ways are meant to attain the same thing; happiness. Two different ways and one is judged upon and labelled as crazy. The other one is heroic.

Just a thought on two different routes to happiness Yus I personally think a mixture of both is the best option.

A state of no anxiety and removal of worry is the ultimate happiness. (Or is required to achieve ultimate happiness)

I've learnt so much and grown not only in knowledge, mantra but also with a different perspective of life, our economic systems and the beauty of blockchain.

I hope I can follow in your footsteps @stellabelle as I try to work my tail off so I'm able to have a roof over my head haha. Rent is obscenely expensive in London and without steemit I don't know where I'd be. (Probably with my parents losing my autonomy and feeling humiliated). I'm also not only here for my own self-interested benefits so one day I can help others like you. Changing and revolutionising people's life.

Incidently I wrote a <a href="https://steemit.com/philosophy/@arckrai/can-happiness-survive-without-sorrow">post</a> about if you need sorrow and despair to be happy and conclusively from reading your post I think you do. 

From the hardships of my life I think I have a stronger passion, zeal and love with steem which I wouldn't have without some rough times throughout my life. I guess we should be optimistic and self-sacrificing to be truly happy in this world.

Thank you for your amazing work @stellabelle :)

beautiful post! Touched me!

Hey @stellabelle, thanks for the inspiring post. I am new to Steemit but already feel what you felt in your early stage here. Things are very different and I cannot completely stop thinking about Steemit or topics that I would like to post on it even while I work or drive. I am becoming more curious with better imagination way beyond that of what I could have been not doing Steemit. I take more photo of every moment of my life. I talk to my friends and colleagues more often. I browse old photos of my family and myself, and recall the happy moments. Steemit is good. I mean really really good. I am now following you. Thanks!

You have so much heart! I love how transparent you are about why you cannot go but at the same time you have found a way to help others attend. It is so beautiful Queen, that you care about helping others on Steemit because you understand the feelings of new Steemians. 

Blessings to you always @stellabelle 	♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Hi @stellabelle, I am @bahagia-arbi from Aceh, Indonesia. Thanks for your excellent writing. 

Regard

Your story certainly is an amazing story! I think I am where you were at the beginning of your journey! I really don't know much about cryptocurrencies, but I have found steemit blogs to be very useful in teaching me. I don't live and breathe steemit but I do have to come on here several times a day. I don't have a great deal of confidence in my writing ability so I'm probably holding back somewhat too as I'm worried my thoughts are irrelevant to the masses! But you have inspired me to take a leap of faith! Thank you for this post

no one is perfect, i like your honesty. Always a blessing to read your posts.

A lot of people I know have "irrationally" jumped ship with their regular job (and it turned out fine for all of them), but somehow I can't bring myself to do it... I know if I did, I'd have so much time to study and read, but....... :(((

What a great headline! :) 

Well done you for being conscious of your fears and tendencies and actively working on overcoming them. That makes you a very good (and creative) human being!
Creativity doesn't only exist is the artistic sense - we have a chance to create ourselves every day into the person we want to be.

Most people are unaware of their fears, habits, attitudes and so they simply react to them (and hurt others in the process) instead of using them to create something better.

I love your honesty and of course appreciate your solid helpful content... I am upvoting and resteeming this, even though it's 2 days old.  I am also sharing it to my 800 Facebook friends, as I am attempting to introduce blockchain technology to my Facebook friends, although it does feel like I am smacking my head against a brick wall lol - I've never seen people glaze over so fast and change the subject quickly or just straight up walk away... Anyway I am so glad for your success and even though I don't know you personally, I am proud of you!  Great job, yes "Steemwork makes the Dream work" I am just a minnow trying to get my account a bit of traction, I can feel my account building momentum, and I will also be working my tail off to bring useful and interesting/helpful content to the Steem Community.  Again congrats on your success, I am definately following you.  Keep it up... take care and stay positive and generous.. Peace @cryptoted

I cannot travel, so I don't know the details of your contest. I wanted to thank you for your gifts to the community.  Blessings will follow you.

I’m not a pessimist I’m a realist! I enjoyed drinking the first half of the glass, and I will enjoy drinking the other half as well! I often wonder what traits the top steemain share between each other. I wonder how many of them would describe themselves as an “all or nothing” kind of person. There is no middle ground. You give it your best or you don’t at all. Is that what a true addiction is when drilled down to the basics? 

It’s always good to self-reflect from time to time. Just be careful to not overdo it to the point it’s causing you more harm than good. You are a wonderful and interesting person @stellabelle. The way you see and interact with the world that you choose to share with us on Steemit brings tears to my eyes. How you’re not working for people as fun as Vat19 on YouTube or the likes selling people products is beyond my understanding!

I am thrilled you have found your home here on Steemit. Your projects like bitcoins school, your efforts to give a way for steemfest 2, and now you’re giving battery packs to those in need! You’re not the kind of person to do these things hoping for a bigger profit out of it. You do these things because you are just that kind of person. I think that’s why so many people enjoy reading what you have to say. Trust you with their followers, and upvotes. Thank you for being an awesome person.

Incredibly generous of you. 🙏🏽

You really are great, I think that is a great gift from you, two lucky people will be able to go to Lisbon, I wish everyone who participates good luck, I of course can't go, if I could I guess I wouldn't be wishing anyone good luck because @stellabelle deep down everyone is selfish.

There are almost 7 billion people on this planet and sometimes I think that we have 7 billions stories on which Hollywood writers and directors can make movies. Your story is really inspiring and motivates people like me not to give up in any stage of your life. However, in my opinion, we should always be thankful with what we have. I have actually started a series named untold stories of unsuccessful persons on Steemit where I highlight those people who have also worked hard in their lives but due to their circumstances, couldn't become successful. When I see their lives, living in slums, feeding their family with unhealthy diet and begging to earn some bucks, I cry and thank to the Almighty for blessing me with so many things. 
Keep growing and stay blessed!

@stellabelle This post got me feeling all emotional right now but I can relate with not having money, its like sucking the life out of someone. As for your achievements here on steemit, I know you deserved it because no one would have done what you are doing any better.

have this silent desire to meet you one day and give you a big hug and tell you that everything you hold so dear on steemit won't turn soar rather your work will pave way for poverty eradication. optimism is key.

You were lucky to find out about Steemit  in June 2016! I understand your fear. I feel the same way, but I agree that too much fear ends up producing bad results.

We can have several thoughts in our mind but what really matters are the actions we perform, everyone has got their yin and yang.

Hmm... it is one of the long post that i like to read over and over again.
It gives a good feeling and a nice perspective of life, knowing that there still are good people somewhere.

I hit the bottom of my  power to go on with almost all things in my life, don't really know how can i continue or what to do.
I am a graphic designer and sport photographer, but lost the power to do from pleasure because what happens. Eh.

When first heard about steem, i said to give it  a try. Of course i heard about it after entering in the Bitcoin world in june and lost 2-3 weeks to understand the surface of what's happening there.

At some point, reached to steemit.com... hehe, i surely do not use any kind of social media today (i did at their time, mirc, hi5, yahoo mess etc, and it was hell of a fun), except the one for my photography, being necessary for parents and kids too see and feel proud with them.

When entered here, i felt something new. Not seeing that overwhelming  commercials, multiple settings and million windows with notifications or other spamming things..., i said, let's try it.

And it is something new, refreshing with nice people, spammers i haven't seen till now :-) hope will not and some good vibe.

Until now, the only problem i think i have, is that i write my thoughts and not reaching in time to be seen and then remain hidden. I will continue posting, of course, it is the first stage that we have here i think :-).
I am also not a writer... i mostly like to do, not to talk, but talk makes good from time to time.

heh... nice words, nice thoughts and nice smile, i can see it somewhere there when you wrote that lines

cheers

Can I pm you on steemit chat?

And all of this is what makes you a beautiful talented woman with a motive ! Your story was really inspiring because this is how I started off as well. 2,000 in my account , preganant and lots of debt . Ever since I have joined Steemit as my last hope , I have been very much  addicted to it , hearing stories like yours shows me that I should never give up and keep striving for the best . If we work hard everyday, one day our hard work will pay off , I know it . We learn from one another as well. You deserve much more, and it will come to you ! @stellabelle

It is scary to see how this platform is going but I feel like if we do not let it happen within ourselves , we will be a leading example for others.

Wow, I don't for a minute see you as a complete pessimist. Not if you can give up your job in order to devote time to steemit. 
Obviously it paid off, and fortunately you can provide for your family, so that's brilliant. 
But don't let fear hold you back, if you aren't careful it can take control. 
I know exactly what you mean when you say it's addictive...it really is. The first thing I reach for when I wake up is my phone so I can check steemit and maybe post my first blog etc. I check throughout the day whilst posting and curating. Last thing at night I check..and if I hear the message tone I just have to reach and look if I need to reply. 
There are quite a few cryptoheads that would love to receive your tickets and I must say that it is great that you are giving them the opportunity. 
This is a fantastic experimental platform with a winning formula. I just hope that it will remain so for the long haul and only go on to improve  and not stagnate because of newbies only willing to be followed, comment on and resteem other content without creating their own. 
The possibilities here are endless, at the beginning I knew nothing much about cryptocurrency except that it exists...little by little the guys here on steemit are educating me. Long live steemit. 😀

Off topic:

Thank you @stellabelle for bringing my attention to that @dollarvigilante is a scammer... I knew it for quite some time, but your information plus others made me finally make my mind up about this man and write this on his latest post:

https://steemit.com/crypto/@dollarvigilante/to-buy-or-sell-bitcoin-cash-that-is-the-question

So incredible @stellabelle, we are as in the same way..(I'm in the addicted phase you'll see only 10 days in here) and thinking with two more friends that introduce me here in going there. (@fivefiveeleven and @dontstopmenow)  and suddenly I found your words. 

---

Is you fear for planes the only one reason to not going t othe Steemit Fest 2... I been thinking that a Cruiser from Ft. Lauderdale to Portugal takes between 6 and 15 days. You can do even beautiful posts from there... Don't stay like the old-hat in there, like you said. Depends on you to don't be that hat, because believe me, on November 1 you'll feel like that.  

Anyway there's a lot of time, and if you want, you can! 

At least you have the chance girl! Come on! I invite: 
***Ao bacalhau e a Feijoada Mulher*** 

![VotedandFollow.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTtdM6QbvmwzrqM5sTbszXf3AqpUMEyuxd7mnZJ3Tn6Dd/VotedandFollow.png)

@stellabelle I know that fear of not having any money. Far too well I'm afraid. I was terrified to quit my job recently because of that same reason, but it had to be done for my health.  I wish I could help my parents, repay them for everything they have ever done for me, but I can't. I can't help them. I first have to take care of myself and then maybe.  

No matter with what you are struggling, please, take care of yourself.  Hugs.

being optimistic protects the body....
just as we can ruin our health by overcoming our problems, we can strengthen it by looking for happy emotions. But to generate its benefits, positive thinking requires a global work on oneself.

Good article! :D Upvoted!

Steemit's lucky to have you :)

Hi  Can You Help Me By Upvote Follow Me? I Am Follow U And Give  Upvote.

https://steemit.com/@mdshadathhossain

Thanks for the insight. I'm a newbie and your success stories are my motivation.

This was a great read, @stellabelle. Beautifully written and straight from the heart. I'm still relatively new to Steemit, but I have seen nothing but great content and generousity from you. Your coin incentive alone has brought many of my good friends to the platform. The fact that you took the initiative to share your time, attention, and part of your earnings with others speaks volumes. Thank you for everything you bring to the platform. It certainly doesn't go unnoticed!

Ohh yes ^ all of this. Ty