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Solana NFTs – Part 1 150 150 admin

Solana NFTs – Part 1

In the past 3 months I’ve dived head first into Solana NFTs. I thought it would be beneficial to recap what I’ve learned about the space.

2020 Crypto Experiments

One of the best things I’ve done in crypto (and I’ve done a lot of bullshit) was experiment in the bear market.

Right at the tail end of 2020, the stars aligned for ya boy. I had extra money, free time and knowledge of crypto from paying attention to the space for years. I noticed that the crypto YouTubers I had subscribed to suddenly started posting again and were hella excited in their videos. I didn’t know it, but it was a perfect time to invest too.

I started learning and using Metamask and Uniswap and buying coins early before they hit Coinbase. I started investing heavier into different coins that were launching and had hype behind them. I kept binge watching crypto YouTube videos and investing in coins they were talking about. I did this all with the expectation that the money I was experimenting with could go to 0.

Crypto is still rewarding me for that experimentation I did years ago through airdrops. The most recent one being Evmos.

So why experiment? Not only for the airdrops, but also because it’s the best time to experiment. The networks aren’t as clogged, so things go faster and things are cheaper. Everything’s calm and settled and you don’t have to learn on-the-fly as much. And ya neeeeeeever know. The things we’re experimenting with today might be normal in the future.

Welcome Solana

In that tail end of 2020, I did a lot of experimenting with ETH-based coins. ETH wasn’t as high priced as it is now and the network wasn’t as congested, so fees were lower.

Nooooooow there is a noticeable fee for everything on ETH! and it’s annoying. At the time of this writing fees are a lot smaller than usual, but I can’t justify using the network as much when Solana is such a cheaper network. Developers are developing high quality games, NFT’s and other resources on it.

I admit it. I had an affair with Solana. I’m sorry ETH.

Random things I’ve noticed or learned while experimenting in Solana NFT’s

  • There’s a lot of younger people in the space with me. Occasionally I’ll see 13-15 year old’s in the space. It’s kinda trippy. Voice chat and spaces expose your voice.
  • NFTs do well in a crypto bear market because it makes for cheap entries to projects that would otherwise price most people out.
  • It’s so great to not have to pay excessive fees. It’s faster and more cost effective. Everything in ETH had a fee and it adds up – staking, unstaking, withdrawing, sending, minting, etc. All fees associated with them. Different airdrops made the fees worthwhile though, so I can’t complain too much about them.
  • It’s more predictable – I don’t have to worry about things like sandwiches or inconsistent fees. I know what I’m going to pay
  • It’s easier to rug – People are starting to figure out the formula for their anonymous rugs and I’m seeing more and more in the space. It’s the wild wild west. Because it’s easier to rug, I appreciate the projects that are transparent and adequately Doxxed and are consistently available through voice and or video or a human social media account. I think this is the way things will eventually go.
  • It all happens on Discord and Twitter – Most of the details of Solana NFT’s are on Discord and/or Twitter. I do see some projects from time to time using Telegram, but for the most part it’s Discord and Twitter. I’ve learned to use Discord and Twitter VERY well.
  • The biggest most well known Solana NFT marketplace is Magic Eden.
  • Some people are happy with the smallest profits. They will mint something for 1 Sol and list it on Magic Eden for 1.01 Sol for a .01 profit (not even taking into account fees).
  • The digital art in the Solana NFT space is absolutely amazing. – There are so much great art that art alone tends to not be enough these days. NFT investors want great art AND some type of utility.
  • Words / phrases / platforms / resources that you gotta know if you’re gonna deal with Solana NFTs – mint date, mint price, supply, volume, hype, WAGMI (we all gonna make it), NGMI (not gonna make it), bluechips, degen, wallet, airdrops, tokens, proof, whitelist (WL), public mint, mint bots, snipers, whales, floor price (FP), Magic Eden and CoralCube.

In Part 1, I wanted to keep it more matter-of-fact style. Find out what happens in Part 2 where I give more of my opinion about the space.

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You like that suspense I put in there? lmao

You know you do.

If You Order From DoorDash… 150 150 admin

If You Order From DoorDash…

Through Favor and DoorDash I’ve done almost 1200 deliveries combined…not to mention the extra deliveries family and friends request when they find out this is what you do.  If you order Door Dash or Uber Eats or Favor or any other P2P food delivery service follow these small tips to have a faster, smoother and cleaner delivery experience:

  • Be able to tell me how to get in your gate.
    • If you live in an apartment, please learn how to get in your own gate.  If you don’t know how to get in, then how can you expect me to?  If you don’t know how to get in your gate, please don’t order from any food delivery service until you can find out how or are willing to meet outside of the gate.  Yes, we can wait on other people to come or leave and go in behind them, but in most places that’s prohibited and we shouldn’t have to do it anyways.  It shows a total disrespect for our time.  I’m willing to bet that more often than not, you KNOW you don’t know how to get in your gate, you’re just hoping the driver can figure something out.  Please figure it out first.  Please.
    • I remember there was one time I pulled into an apartment (not realizing it was an apartment when the order first showed up).  I called the customer to ask how to get in the gate, and she didn’t know.  So I’m at the dial pad stuck…There are cars that are behind me honking at me, there’s no space to turn around or go in the exit gate, and I’m pretty upset at this point.  She then says she’s going to send someone out to pick up the food.  After a while I see someone walk towards me with a slow, smooth bop in his step (if you’ve ever watched Bruh Man from the show Martin walk, that was the walk).  WHAT ARE YOU DOING DUDE?!?!  HURRY YOUR ASS UP MAN.  THIS AINT THE TIME TO BE TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL.
    • If you live in a gated community, please let the person at the front know who I am and/or that you’re expecting a delivery.  Many times I feel like I’m crossing a border with all the identification I have to provide to them for delivering your smoothie from Sonic.  Name, license plate number, license, passport, social security, birth corticate, actual mom that birthed me, etc.
  • Give detailed directions 
    • I’m tired of driving around your horribly lit apartments at night looking for your building number.  Then I look to your directions for some semblance of guidance…it says “thanks!” or “I’m in the back”.  You only have to give the directions once.  Come on yo!
  • Put your animals away
    • Through many deliveries I’ve noticed quite a few things about the dynamic between you and your pets:
      • Your pets don’t listen to you.  As well as you think you have them trained, when you talk they pretty much ignore you…at least while I’m there.  “BACK! GET BACK! SIT!”  I see you squeeze through the door trying not to let the dog out.  The dog completely ignores this weak ass request, euro-steps you and starts sniffing me.  Then I hear you say something I don’t think any delivery driver wants to hear – “oh he don’t worry, he doesn’t bite!”.  How do you know this animal is going to do?  You can tell me what he probably will do.  You can tell me what he has or hasn’t done in the past.  You can’t tell what he’s going to do in the future.  I don’t want to hear it, and please stop saying it.  If he’s a dog with teeth, I’m going to assume he bites.
      • Some of you are way too damn intimate with your pets.  I don’t want the type of intimacy with your pets that you might have.  I don’t want your pets licking, sniffing, or biting me.  I just want to deliver the food and leave.
  • Give me the right address
    • I know.  Everyone makes mistakes, and granted this has only happened like 3 times to me, but this really is a bad one to make…the worst.  When you put the wrong address a driver either ends up looking for an address that doesn’t exist or delivering to a person that isn’t expecting an order.  I actually had a customer who didn’t speak must English at all and didn’t know her real address.  The address she gave me didn’t exist, and when I called her for directions, all she kept saying was that her place was “by the trees” *insert blank stare emoji here*.  There were literally trees everywhere.  Needless to say this food took forever to deliver, and of course I got the negative rating.  This could have all been avoided if she knew her own address BEFORE she requested someone deliver food to her.

Help me, and other delivery drivers help you.  Help us get you your food faster.

Be The Change You Want to See in the World 150 150 admin

Be The Change You Want to See in the World

The title of this blog is a quote by Mahatma Gandhi.

I’ve heard and seen this quote before, but I’ve never written down the changes I want to see in the world.  For every change in the world, it’s a pointer to my own character changes.

Changes I want to see in the world:

  • I want to see people be freer.  According to The Guardian, 1 in every 200 people was a slave (that article was written in February 2019).   WTF?  Come on!
  • I also want to see people accept more of the freedoms they have already.
  • I want to see different infrastructures and cities built up instead of jumping on the ones that are already thriving.  Let’s build up more spaces so we have more options on where to live.
  • I want to see people who aren’t expressing themselves express themselves more uniquely.  This means creating and delivering your work.
  • I want to see the world being more congruent in their character publicly and privately.   Be who you are in private in public…along the lines of Keep the Same Energy.
  • I want to see the world eating healthier.
  • I want to see people aligning decisions of money and financial abundance with oneness.
  • I want to see people have more forgiveness for themselves and others.
  • I want more people focused on personal growth.
    • I want a world more really to try new things, take on new experiments, and make more mistakes (easier when you live in a more forgiving world)
  • I want to see the world value oneness more.
  • I want the world to raise awareness of their habits.  The small things they do over and over that add up over time.
  • I want to see more intelligent and transparent leadership.  I live in Texas so…there’s been such a lack of leadership and consistent terrible decisions at both the state and federal level.

I look at this list, and I look at pointers to my own character and where I need to grow.  Right now I’d say expression and making expression a habit is where I wanted to do the most work this year – (hence the work on this site!).  I also want to do more work building up other infrastructures.

There’s a lot of work to do, and I take full responsibility for making the necessary changes in my character to get it done.

Too Grounded or Not Grounded Enough? 150 150 admin

Too Grounded or Not Grounded Enough?

Are you feeling too grounded or not grounded enough?

“Too grounded” symptoms:  You feel at peace, and you’ve felt at peace for a long time.  Nothing is really changing in your life from day to day and you feel like you’re just going through the motions.   Your needs are met, but you really feel like you need to spice it up.

If this is you, then do just that – spice it up!  Embrace the New! Commit to something challenging for you.  Face a fear you’ve had.  Volunteering could also be a great way to go here.  Put your willingness to try something new “out there”.  Put more of your skills/time/effort out there.  Since you’re at peace and have your needs met, let your cup flow over to help those who do not have their needs met.  Take some of your groundedness and connect with someone else that might need to feel more grounded.

I’ve been feeling like this lately, so I’ve began guest posting to get some new flow and energy in here!  So, what’s up if you’re new 😉

“Not grounded enough” symptoms:  Here you might feel like things are flying at you quicker than you can handle.  There’s a lot going on.  You might be in a totally new place or around totally new people.  Things have changed for you in a big way.  It feels like you’re walking on air and you don’t have as much control as you normally do.  Maybe you’re having to rely on someone else to do something.

I felt like this when I joined a group that committed to abstaining from products made with sugar and flour.  That was tough.  I ate lots of fast food and junk filled with sugar and flour for decades.  Then, I join this group and they’re telling me that I can’t have ANY product that has sugar or flour in it.  My emotions were like a roller coaster.  Some days I was confused and lost.  Other days I was an emotional wreck, crying for no reason.

During that time, I really appreciated the new things that stayed the same.  The meetings we attended were new for me, but they were constant and happened regularly and had this uniform structure to them.  I was forming new habits and being introduced to new routines and people, but those new habits and routines stayed constant, and the people who committed to the group were always there to connect with.  It gave me a new appreciation for the new things that were constant while I was surrendering the old habits, routines and people that were constant.

The biggest help for me in that situation was connecting with someone who had been where I’d been before and successfully overcome it.  These people will offer you a more grounded perspective on the situation.  The more people you can find to connect with like this when you’re feeling ungrounded, the better.

Listening to meditation audio or someone you feel is grounded (try Eckhart Tolle) could help make you feel more centered during the turbulent times.  Even then, it might just take some time and patience on your part.

The beauty of life is this dynamic.  Things are changing constantly.  Stay aware of what the moment is calling for and adapt.   Take inventory and recognize when things need to be rebalanced.

Too damn grounded and feeling bored?  Words like “spontaneity”, “edge”, “spice”, “new”, “challenge” will help you here.

Feeling like you’re walking on air and would like to get your feet on solid ground?  Connect with someone who’s taken that walk before and ask them questions.  Get used to letting go of control and expectations.  Be patient and let things sink in and integrate where they need to.

 

 

Overcome This and You’ll Be Free 150 150 admin

Overcome This and You’ll Be Free

If your fears stop you from taking a step that could be beneficial to you, then you are a slave to your fears.

You might have grown comfortable with your fears being with you.  They might stop you repeatedly, and you’re used to that pattern.  That’s conditioning.

Know that if you’re dealing with this, you can break this pattern at any time.  Continue stretch and expand by going into the unknown.

One thing I’ve noticed about going into that scared shitless place is that the first time is when you feel the most fear, then it gets less and less as you go on.

Your job is to face it so many times it dissolves into a mild tension.  Then you start getting used to feeling the fear and acting with it.  Playing with it and having fun instead of resisting it.

Keep Going 150 150 admin

Keep Going

Have there been any projects where…you dropped the ball and you didn’t pick it back up?  Only to wonder “what if?” years later.

What it you had finished that project you wanted to do?

There’s some projects I’m sure you’re glad you’re dropped, but do you have any projects that gnaw at you?  In your mind, they make you go into a reality where you didn’t drop the ball and you think about how different your life would be if you kept going with that one project?

Maybe you felt like you dropped the ball too early…and if you had just kept going, you would have eventually arrived where you were planning to be.  I know it’s hard to keep going when things don’t look so well, but think about the reference experience you’re creating.  You’ll remember how you handled things.  Did you quit when you didn’t see the numbers you wanted?  Did you quit when reality violated your expectations?  Release your grip on expectations and keep experimenting and striving to be a successful risk taker.

If it’s possible, you can also look to pick something back up if you feel like it’s gnawing at you.  You can frame this as just taking a long break.

Keep going.  Keep moving.  One of the most rewarding feelings is arriving at your planned destination (or one better) and knowing that you had to overcome your own doubts and fears to get there.

Daily Blogging Has Infected My Sleep 150 150 admin

Daily Blogging Has Infected My Sleep

Ok, so in an effort to make sure I post before the clock hits midnight many nights, my sleep has been completely thrown off.  Late nights of blogging has taken its toll.  So, it’s time to change course and pivot.

I want to make sure I’m writing when I’m inspired to write…when I first get that little buzz in my spirit to write.  Lately, I feel like I’ve been waiting until the last minute to publish.  Well…last minute no more!

If I want to align with this quarter’s goals I set for myself (just finished!) I must do a better job of acting in alignment with the present moment.  When the present moment opens up an opportunity for me to write and publish, I will write and publish.  Done.

Does High Quantity Lessen Quality with Creative Work? 150 150 admin

Does High Quantity Lessen Quality with Creative Work?

A concern with a lot of quantity with creative work is…will the quality go down?  I saw this question posed by someone at the beginning of Steve Pavlina’s 365-day blogging challenge.  Since I’m participating as well, I actually wondered the same thing.

I’ve experienced quite the opposite in this 365-day blogging challenge.  I’m really proud of some articles that I’ve written, but I know they wouldn’t have happened without all the other articles I’ve written that I roll my eyes at.  It’s as if quality comes from quantity.   You have to get in the reps to realize the quality and see the results.

It reminds of something I read today about song writing, but one of my favorite song writers, John Mayer.

On the subject of writing good songs, John Mayer urges new writers not to worry too much about whether a song is good or bad when they are writing it. “Just write it,” he says. “The rule is: write bad songs, but write ’em. If you start writing bad songs, you start writing better songs, and then you start getting really good.

“If you try to get into the building on the twelfth floor, you’ll never make it. You have to get in the basement floor and work up from there.”

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