I think the best thing about posting here regularly and grappling with territories that offer a range of fees is how it catalysed me to embrace a Meaning mindset.
Let me explain. Initially, when I saw territories that come with a 420 or even 500 sats posting fee, I usually paused and thought about whether I would recoup my capital. Would my humble musing have enough value such that enough Stackers would zap it as a show of support? Should I gamble it? What if it didn’t work out?
You can see that all these questions added an onerous layer of consideration, which diluted the fun and enjoyment of posting. But I couldn’t help myself. I was ‘working’ for beer money.
Thankfully, I had other goals in mind, the most significant of which was reducing the number of photos on my phone. Hence, even if I didn’t gain back my posting fee, I achieved my purpose of managing the visual clutter in my possession, which I perceived as gaining an important non-monetary currency. Now, I have about 2100 photos on my phone; I had about 3000 of them at the start of the year. Scrolling through my photos to find the ones I need with greater ease yields endorphins and sparks joy.
This was when I realised that the meaning I attributed to a photo might pale in comparison to the meaning Stackers derived from it. An innocuous photo of a Happy Hippo toy, for instance, reminded some Stackers of their happy childhood; it garnered more zaps that I would have expected.
This led me to frame posting differently. If my post could elicit a smile or help a Stacker learn a new word, then I shouldn’t be too petty and picking about whether I would get back what I give out to the world.
To be honest, if I have something that is a good fit for two or more territories, I will post it in the territory that costs me the least. However, I no longer hesitate about posting something in the more expensive territories if I deem it the right fit.
Because my words have value, regardless of how much they earn.
Because I assign meaning to my words.
Because if my posts don’t earn much zaps, I may gain sats from securing a higher placing on the Leaderboard.
Because even if I have a low placing on the Leaderboard, my posting fee will support territory founders to live another day.
Having a Meaning mindset is awesome because it makes life simple. Less cognitive energy expended calculating the Return on Investment grants me more autonomy over my creative processes. It also encourages a more playful attitude; sometimes I post for the heck of it.
It is liberating, just like striving to live the Bitcoin Standard is.