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<center><h3>*"STEEM Is Affordable At These Prices"*</h3></center>

I bet you have noticed that many of the well-known and established Steemians are talking about powering up and how amazing it is to have more influence. The same people also talks frequently about the awesome opportunity to grow your account even further if you power up, as your stake allows you to rake in more rewards. If you want to be truly powerful on Steem, you need to have Steem Power. The more you have the better it is, for everyone. Especially for yourself, as you will have more advantages.

We can also see dozens of newcomers talking about the same things, but you don't see them powering up much. They have simply found a way to earn rewards for talking about things others wants to hear. I don't blame them for doing this, because everyone wants Steem to flourish. It doesn't matter if you have 10 Steem or 10 million. Everyone wants Steem to moon. Imagine the outcome if you could sell Steem at $1, $10 or even $50. That could and most likely would be life changing for most of us.

However, how many of our current dolphins, orcas and whales would **still** sit on their stakes if Steem jumped to $10 in an instant? - Personally, I think that **most** people would sell immediately, especially if they bought Steem at the price of $0.13. After all, that is what everyone is looking for. This is why people are in this for the long haul. They want to cash out big time. That is what any investor would do.

That being said, they might not sell all of their stake, but I think that most users would sell well-more than 50% in such a scenario. If not, I can't really see the point of investing in the first place.

If everyone would power up, hold and buy Steem, the price would ultimately increase in value. The value of Steem would go up... But, it's not easy for everyone to be as optimistic as larger accounts.

Some people can actually buy food for an [entire week](https://steemit.com/steem/@soyrosa/what-will-10usd-buy-you-or-aka-remember-how-hard-it-is-was-to-earn-80-steem), for "only" $10. Others can afford to have Netflix for a month for the same cost. I can buy 8 litres of milk. Our living expenses varies a lot, and it depends on many different things. One of the largest difference is where we live.

That being said, I would **love** to see people buy & hold Steem, but not everyone is in a position were they can afford to do that. I will buy, hold and power up in the near future, because I truly believe in Steem and I want to grow my account so I can help others. I want to make a difference in people's lives. I want to *heal the world* and make things easier for others. That is my purpose in life. That is why I love Steem and that is why I study to become a nurse specialized in psychiatry. 

- That is the first stepping stone in my mission.

In real life, I will be able to help those who suffers from mental illness, which sadly is increasing rapidly. On Steem, I will be able to ease the pain for some people, not because of my education, but due to my stake. It's a win/win situation for me in both scenarios, as I aim to help others in any possible way I can.

I do believe that Steem is a bargain at these prices. I don't know if the price will drop even further or not, but I know that Steem has the potential to be valued more than it is today... And I truly believe that we are heading in the right direction with #newsteem.

The most recent reward changes had a negative impact on some users. The most devastating blow was delivered to- and received by the lesser accounts. Many of these users fails to see the bigger picture, and you can't blame them for that. Many of them feel deceived. Some of them was relying on their Steem income to afford things in real life. I can relate to their feelings, even though I don't rely on Steem to take care of my livelihood. I wish I could sell my entire stake in an instant, without the 13 week powerdown, because that would've helped me a lot numerous times... But I am also glad, because it makes me think things through. It gives me time to think about my options.

That being said, if I was able to pay my electric bill or buy food for a week with the rewards I was able to earn from Steem, just from a handful of posts, I would feel devastated too. I would be in dire need of help. 

In fact, I **am** in dire need to help, financially, because most things I try in real life seems to always go to shit. My student loan application was recently rejected which gave me **zero** chances to graduate. I was on the brink of giving up and quit with only **3** months remaining because I was thrown under the bus everywhere I went.

I have felt desperation. I have received devastating blows, but I have never given up hope. I truly believe that I am meant for greater things in life, so I can't give up. I am familiar with the feelings of spending 2-3 hours on an article only to be ignored or overlooked by orcas and whales. I know the feeling of writing posts, trying to engage and putting in tons of effort only to receive $1 rewards.

Perhaps even worse, when you spend 2 hours on an article and you pour your heart and soul into it, and suddenly, you receive an upvote from a whale, but they give you a vote with 0.5% voting power...

It is **easy** to feel depressed and be filled with anxiety when things like this seems to happen on a regular basis, but I owe it to myself to see things differently. I need to stay positive and I need to see these things like something good. Otherwise, I would've given up a long time ago... And truth is, that all those things **can** change.

That 0.5% vote can be the **start** of something that will last for a long time. It can be the first of many 0.5% upvotes to come. That 0.5% vote you received today, can change into a 10% vote tomorrow.

One of the questions you need to ask is what you can do for Steem, and why people should support you instead of others. Why are you more worthy of upvotes than the user next to you?

Take if from someone who's been there, it doesn't matter if you are in a desperate need of money. It doesn't matter if you don't have enough money to pay for food or if you are unemployed. It doesn't matter if you have done everything you can in real life to solve your financial situation. 

- Steem is **not** a charity.

Steem is about rewarding people that puts in effort and contributes to the platform. #newsteem is about rewarding high quality and not about giving financial aid to people in desperate situations.

Truth is, that it doesn't matter if that seems to be fair or not either, because it won't change the outcome. You are **not** likely to receive upvotes if you come out as a beggar. If you bring your A game, if you put in tons of effort and if you contribute quality you will have a higher chance to get help if, and when you find yourself in a financial situation you can't solve on your own.

That's when your audience will matter the most. That is when all of your hard work will truly pay off. Until then, you should just focus on being positive and contribute. You should focus on making a name for yourself. Build your own brand. Grow your account & build your audience. By the time this nightmare of a financial situation turns up, you might even have enough to cover it all by yourself.

My advice is, try to stay positive. If you give up now because you feel that the recent reward changes have too much of a negative impact on your overall rewards, continue to put in effort. You never know if or when the price will go up, and you don't want to miss out when that time comes...

- You don't want to miss out on those 0.5% upvotes. 

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