How Crypto, Torum, Publish0x, and NFTs Changed my Life

I know the title of this blog may seem hyperbolic, but the statement is true. My life has changed and is heading in a new direction. I'm excited and optimistic for the future. As everyone knows, getting old is just peachy, but with it comes wisdom and clarity. I'm going to attempt to tell you the clarity I believe I've achieved in recent months. 

In my previous post, I talked about my path to crypto and how, even though I had heard about Bitcoin a while back, I only recently sunk my teeth into the crypto world. I've always been the type of person that has a hard time grasping a concept if I don't completely understand it 100%. I just realized that is a redundant statement. How could you completely understand something at 30% or 40% or whatever? Anyway, you get what I mean. If I don't completely understand something, I get lost. 

I've had many times where I would be talking to someone who is very successful and start asking them a bunch of questions about whatever it was that they were successful in. Often they wouldn't know a lot of the answers. Well, they would know the answers, but wouldn't be able to go too deep. A plus B equaled C and that was good enough for them. I need to know why A is even involved with B and is C cool with it? In these turbulent times, I could see C being a real B if B is a big A. Do you know what I mean? Don't worry, I have no idea what I meant either.

The point I'm unsuccessfully trying to make is that I believe one of the reasons I so easily got sucked into crypto is because it's a fresh, new start. This is why I never did any deep dives into the stock market or the federal reserve or anything like that. I know that in 1913 a bunch of caring people got together to create some institutions that would greatly benefit humanity for all time. I don't remember much of the details, but I think it was a bunch of people who had nothing, but love in their hearts for all of us. Either way, crypto is different for me. It has a whole new feel to it. While I certainly wouldn't say I completely understand it 30%, I eventually think I'm going to be able to reach that 88% of complete understanding. 

It's not just the possibilities of cryptocurrency and the blockchain, but the people who love crypto that I especially enjoy. There is a common bond amongst most of us and it makes for an easier learning curve. Torum, which is a social media platform with a crypto-based atmosphere, sort of like Facebook for crypto, is my go-to place for crypto information and discussion. It is one of the four that have changed my life and I'll tell you why.

Before Torum, I was like most people, well not like most people, I'm way more awesomer than most people. If you read my last post you already know I don't wash apples before I eat them, proving my total badassery. Other than my ridiculous level of badassery I am like most people. I find that it's often hard to see a comment that gets your blood boiling and not respond. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and many others can be absolute dumpster fires of idiocy. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with voicing your opinion, even if it is idiotic, I've come to realize that allowing the comment to get under my skin may be the bigger offense. This is where Torum comes in.

Like I was earlier talking about with a fresh start to things for better understanding, Torum is just that for me. When I found Torum it was a clean slate for me. I can't imagine anybody would get on a new platform and just goes hardcore right off the bat, but eventually, you get comfortable and learn your way around and sometimes you gotta lay a verbal smackdown....down? I wasn't sure how to end that sentence. 

I can still remember when I first saw a comment on Torum that irked me a little bit and I sat there for a minute thinking about what my reply would be. I ended up deciding not to comment at all and it was one of the greatest decisions I've ever made. That seems like a big statement for such a small act, but it really was freeing. From that day forward I have decided to just let things go. 

I don't want to leave the impression that speaking up for what you believe in is not important. The point I'm trying to make is to pick your battles. You have to realize you're not going to be able to change the world. At least not with a few snide comments on Twitter. There are a lot of sayings like; "be the change you want to see" and "the world is what you make it" and "shouldn't this rash have cleared up by now?" All very true statements. Especially the last one. Seriously, if you have a rash for more than a couple of days, go get it checked out! 

The sentiment behind the positive sayings though is true, but It's mostly fluff. It sounds good on paper and greeting cards, but it's mostly a side order of fluff with extra fluffiness. My point is you're going to help the world be a better place if you help yourself be a better person. The one thing you can control, for the most part, is yourself. Obviously, God, nature, fate, or whatever you believe in can throw a wrench in your day real quick, but besides those unforeseen things, you control yourself. BTW: I have no idea how throwing a wrench got associated with messing up plans, but I imagine if that wrench hit you in the head, it would badly mess up your day. 

So, crypto has set me on a path of discovery and new optimism for a possible retirement not full of doom and diapers. Actually, I think the diapers might be nice. I'm a man who craves leisure and I could see getting used to watching a full football game without having to get up to use the bathroom. Seriously though, crypto has opened up my mind to exciting, new possibilities for the future of our world and Torum has honestly helped me be a better person. I genuinely want to be better when I'm on Torum. So many people on Torum are like-minded and hopeful for the future as well. It really does have a be-on-your-best-behavior feel to the platform. I imagine as the platform grows it will be harder to keep a lid on bad behaviors and of course censorship is rarely the answer. So I guess that's where the point I was making earlier applies; You can let it bother you or you can not let it bother you. It's up to you!

Let's get to the Publish0x and NFTs part. Publish0x has changed my life because I had absolutely no idea I enjoyed writing. If you would have told me 5 years ago that one day I would have a blog, I would not have believed you. First, I would have been questioning who you were and how you found me, but I imagine once I was no longer afraid you were going to stab me, I would have laughed at the idea of ever having a blog. 

So many people, maybe even you, gave me wonderful support and said such kind words about my first post and I was a little overwhelmed. Like a full, complete 30% overwhelmed. It wasn't just the kind words that made me want to continue writing, that would be pretty egotistical. It was the new feeling it gave me inside. No more blue pills for me! It's all writing to get the juices flowing now! Doesn't that always sound gross? I don't know of any woman that gets excited when you tell her that your juices are flowing. Sounds more like something a doctor should check out. 

It really did awaken something in me though. I often have a lot of thoughts that are all over the place and I especially get them when I'm trying to fall asleep. Publish0x has given me a place to let the thoughts go. An outlet to express what I'm feeling inside in a different way than just normal conversation does. I can sit and think for a minute about what I'm trying to say. I can choose my words more carefully. I can also just let the words flow out of me and at times my fingers can't keep up with my brain. It feels good though. It's a new invigorating feeling and I'm so glad I have you guys to bounce things off of. So let's finally get to the NFTs.

I'm really excited about NFTs! Like the blockchain that they live on, they are changing the world and will continue to do so in ways we haven't even imagined. Smart contracts and all the different aspects of NFTs are exciting, but what really gets my juices flowing (did I just turn you on?) is the art aspect of NFTs. To be able to create a piece of art and have it minted to a blockchain where it will live forever is amazing. It's going to make it easier to prove when pieces are created and also give the artist a chance to make money on their pieces in perpetuity. As an artist, you can set your future commission percentage on the piece, usually between 0 to 15% and you will get that percentage, minus the platform's percentage when/if your piece sells again. I don't want to go off on all the aspects of NFTs that excite me, but I will tell you how they too have changed my life. 

I've always been a creative person. I play piano and drums, but mostly guitar. I compose music on Garageband and make beats to die for! I've created over 150 stunt races for the popular game GTA V with over a million plays. My wife and I refinish furniture and sell it along with our paint pours at a booth in an antique/collectibles store. We also do a movie review channel on youtube, with a whopping subscriber count of 24! We are pretty big time. We do the movie reviews as a side hobby and even though hardly anyone watches it, it's a lot of fun! What I'm trying to tell you is that we are both the creative types and NFTs have got our wheels turning and dare I say; our juices flowing. I don't want to tell you all the ideas we will be implementing, because we are still working so much out, but the mission has already started. 

I've started an NFT project called; Trippy Trading Cards and plan to have many different types of themed NFTs within the project. We also have a future plan to mix the virtual with the physical. It's helped me and my wife focus on our goals like a laser beam. My wife is an amazing drawer and artist and we will be working many of her exciting ideas into the project as well. I've been whitelisted on Atomichub.io (WAX) and have already minted some NFTs. I wanted to get my website and WAX up and running before I told you all. I'm still new to all of this, so it's definitely a learning process, but I have so much passion for it. It's sparked a fire inside me and unleashed the crackling fire out of its pit. 

The first set of NFTs I will be giving away is a special one that I'm doing in honor of the Torum team and them recently reaching 50k members. We still have so far to go, but I know they will get us there. I will be minting 77 copies of this NFT, but the first 12 will be held for the main team at Torum, and 14 are going to some landers that have been positive and helpful to me and the community. I will keep the last one (77) for myself. So there will be a total of 50 NFTs up for grabs. 

If you do not have a wax wallet but are interested in getting one of these NFTs, I would suggest getting the wallet right after you read this. I will be putting the NFTs up after posting this, but it won't be right away. Once I know the time for sure I will post it on our website. There is a section with a countdown timer and I will update it at least 2 hours before the NFTs drop. So be sure to keep checking in at the website and follow me on Twitter because I'll be announcing the release time on there too. I imagine the 50 will go quick, but who knows. They may just sit there too! I'm so new to this I really don't know what to expect, but I put a lot of time and passion into this project and hope that they are enjoyed as much as I enjoyed making them. 

So just to wrap things up in a nice, little NFT bow, I'm so glad I found crypto. I'm even happier I found Torum, Publish0x, and NFTs. Like I said before; it has genuinely changed my life for the better. I know I will continue to slip and make mistakes I'm not proud of, but the wisdom and clarity of being able to let things go is a positive step forward in my view. It's not so much that I've learned these things as I've grown older, but that I have the wisdom and clarity to understand how important these things are. Getting older certainly is not fun, but the ability to refocus your goals and attitude does get easier as you emotionally grow. If you are on the younger side and can grasp the simple concept of not being upset so easily and letting things go, you'll be so far ahead of the game. If you read through this, thank you. I am so grateful for that. At least a full 30%!

Your friend,

Celery Cyborg aka Sevens Secret aka Crypty Mccryptorson

Check out the new site: https://trippytradingcards.com

Follow TTC on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrippyNFT 

Follow TTC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippytradingcards/

TTC collection on Atomichub.io: https://wax.atomichub.io/explorer/collection/sevenssecret