Looking over my past year on steemit from, "What's this?" to "Finding crypto work & Helping many people & projects".

From my very first post

Thoughts of a combination of passions of bitcoins, games, investments, and more. How to have fun while creating fun for others among with ways for many benefits of added value.
Deeper idea of a way for people to learn about cryptocurrencies. Some form of game presenting cryptocurrnecy coins, mining, and other concepts in game form that can be utilized by novices and experts interacting while learning and benefiting together through everyone's own unique understandings.

Happy Anniversary / Birthday to @virtualgrowth

Today @virtualgrowth is one year old on steemit having been on STEEM for one year now with so much happening over the past year!

Fast forward to last weekend finding myself in Los Angeles with the opportunity to represent OpenLedger at the Smart Money conference in my new OpenLedger t-shirt!

State of Digital Money 2017 Opening Keynote
OpenLedger at SmartMoney in Los Angeles

This stemmed from having talked to Daniel of @apptrade off and on over the past year. Then surprisingly running into each other at Consensus. Which I became interested in going to upon finding out it was going to be New York since I was in Connecticut not too far away at the time. Then I found out the price of a ticket which I couldn't afford. However in further reading discovered that some free tickets were available so quickly sent off an email which to my delight was responded to with a ticket and an invite to some eos after party. Also reached a few milestones including a reputation of 70 and 1,000 followers on steem(it)!

AppTrade's APPX.WARRANTs issued and available on bitshares
Quick Thank you to everyone! Great to meet some people at Consensus!
Rep 70, finishing up at Consensus, fun hearing about eos, and what crypto to hold with virtualgrowth
Thank you to my 1, 2, 3, ... (skip counting here) 1000 Followers! and Links to Posts that interest virtualgrowth
Virtualgrowth cross country adventures seeking crypto experiences

Finding myself giving away $100's worth of crypto to people around this time too of which some people may be waiting for some giveaways I haven't had the time to catch up on. So will be catching up on this in the next couple of days and introducing some changes with my introduction of @btstradecontest where people / accounts will receive PRIZE tokens which may be exchanged for various assets/crypto of their choice. This will simplify my giveaway process and all incorporation of other ideas. For more details watch for future posts with more information.

Steem, BTS, and Asset Market Update 7/29 and Giveaway for 8/5
Bitshares Trading Contest Pre-Announcement Idea

One of my latest projects is a stemit loan with the idea that a user may place their account up for collateral for a loan which they may in turn pay back with rewards from posts which they may continue to post while their account is help by a trusted third party.

Steemit Loan Update for 7/29 - Testing an example of using a steem account as loan collateral

Didn't write as much since I was dealing with Tinnitus while recovering from Meningitis which I briefly wrote about and thinking about rewriting more in depth while exploring ways to get better and using STEEM raised from my posts towards my healing efforts as well. Have also wondered what to write about at times if anyone would like to comment some ideas.

Homeless after Meningitis mental illness
Wondering what to write about... ama ask me (almost) anything
My quest to a quiet peaceful mind ~ walking & hiking mentally through the universe
☕ Steem peanut butter - maybe a peanut butter just for steem users - Or addition to food or smoothie! ☕

Last year I combined my loves of crypto & poker with a way to monetize people's votes to support me in playing poker which was supported by @blocktrades and many others. This was found to be fun and rewarding. Months later some even staked me with SBD/STEEM and I returned the SBD/STEEM ith a proportion of my winnings once I managed to win in some poker games / tournaments. This also continued earlier this year when I went to Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, and Las Vegas this summer to play poker during the WSOP, World Series of Poker.

ⓐ♠ⓚ♥ⓠ♦ⓙ♣ Vote for a me to stake me in poker tournaments & I'll give you SD from wins! ⓐ♤ⓚ♡ⓠ♢ⓙ♧
Pokercoin success last week up about $112.18 last week - Offer stake in poker for votes and/or STEEM DOLLARS

Struggling on steemit like many just earning pennies for my first few weeks I managed to have a post reach well over $100 thanks to @berniesanders and others when I wrote about minimalism. This post is part of why I am here today for so much more. Had I not done so well I may have considered leaving steem(it) like I see many others do. Although I am sure I would have come back at a better time for me I am glad I managed to stay through think and thin along my whole journey into so much crypto space.

Have always wondered how I can be more free and fulfilled.

A minimal life from the ground up - search, passions, and discoveries by virtualgrowth

Soon I will be working towards eating closer to as healthy as I possibly can as I had last year seeking to better treat and hopefully cure my mental illness that resulted from getting Meningitis known as (NPH, Normal Pressure) Hydrocephalus.

✿ Salad with eggs, herbs, oil, mustard, seeds, spices, and more ❀

Also have thought about exploring games on/with steem(it) which led the creation of @thegame and trying out numerous ideas and learning along the way.

MAZE for STEEM - What is the fewest number of moves out of the maze from SH to EH?
➑ The time I won a pool league match without getting a ball in! ➑ by virtualgrowth

How may I, you, and all make a difference for the better of I, you, and all?

This is very much part of my philosophy, thought, what, and who I am or strive to be. While crypto may appear great in ways, it is still for the privileged. Hope that some may work to share with those who are less fortune and not so privileged.

Homeless / in need awareness rewards project & game

Great to see rules and uses of steem extending beyond steemit and more sharing economy resulting from ideas stemming from idea of people adding their own rules to the new areas they are finding to add their contribution and value and finding different ways to express themselves through and with crypto which is part of my goal. Exploring numerous game ideas because they can be fun ways to learn and try out other ideas.

THEGAME: Your rules, Your rewards, Your ways to share STEEM within your game!
[GAME: Alpha Game : 1] - Yesterday the world was understandable... today... you tell me...
Playing pool and winning a trip to Las Vegas to play in the National Team Event!

Found myself working @sykchica with her steemprentice initiative last year, along with attending numerous @steemittalk podcasts and getting the chance to meet in person at @stellabelle's Steemit Summer Party where I got to meet @jacobts, @papa-pepper who gave me a shirt, @jessamynorchard, and others.

steemprentice Steem Mentor Apprentice Group Open Invitation to help and be helped on steemit
Sharing Kansas City Steemit Summer Party Experience and Links
♫Jessamyn Orchard - Live at KC Steemit Summer Party and Steemit Local Music Society! ♬

Much gratitude to many who have given me great thanks and appreciation including @jacobts, @jessamynorchard, @stellabelle, and so many more!

Dear @VirtualGrowth, Thank You.
Back in the day, long before internet, one would send a thank you letter for kind deeds and words. This is such a letter.

Not only did you listen, but you responded with something more precious than satoshis. You took your own time to share a little bit about your journey. I never would have imagined, but I am now all the more happy for your journey. My respect and appreciation for sharing your humanity and your story. My best wishes to you on your journey. ... I hope everyone here is listening when you offer a helpful hand.

Wishing you all the best,
@JacobTS

A Thank You Letter to Virtual Growth by @jacobts
✉ ✍ Namaste and Thank You JacobTS (and many more) ✍ ✉

While sharing information and finding good many projects to invest energy & time into.

PEERCROWDFUND on bitshares - First Package to Virtualgrowth!
Peerity - Peerity.io - a social activity network Check out @peerity-io to learn more
Virtualgrowth Beyond Bitcoin #212 Raw Recording hosted by @officialfuzzy
Giving away tokens as a distribution strategy (or redistribution/over time)
STEEMIT PARK Bench to be Sponsored by virtualgrowth

Great to have the opportunity to sponsor a bench at Steemit Park so someone may have a seat and maybe myself some day as well as be able to scan a code on the bench to visit my blog page on steemit! Another great moment to see is when the community came together to raise @darthnava's post to a payout value of more than $10,000 to help with a great cause of needed surgery!

Thanks to those helping @darthnava as I have MRI Results Are Not Encouraging Either

Around this time the steem community showed par of it's ability in uniting minnows, dolphins, and whales together to flag'n'hide a post they didn't like or feel comfortable with being visible on steemit.com's website for example even if supported by others. Not saying anyone or anything is right or wrong here but that there is the ability for people to counteract and counterbalance things with their votes and communication when many are expressing shared values.

Hello MOGUL Game, Where's the Game, Gold, and Prizes?; Seems Steem(it) didn't like the idea!

Also check out SteemGIgs or SteemShop which I support with many other great projects!

SteemGig: Learn About SteemGigs and SteemShop OR Post or Purchase a Good or Service!
Contributions, Donations, Giveaways - Spirit of Giving - Vote for who virtualgrowth (and others?) to tip!
Charity of Giving Donations / Tips to Steemit Users

Working towards attending more Steem(it) MeetUps and SteemFest later this year.

Steemfest! Start to start thinking, planning, and saving up! (and steemfest recent links)

So thankful for being able to do what I do because at times I deal with health challenges resulting from mental illness such as Tinnitus.

Wanted to do more this week, but ears ringing and short on sleep

Look forward to exploring many more ideas on how we may utilize cryptocurrencies such as @picokernel's crowdfunding a house idea. However we learned that we have much to learn for a smooth execution of this idea. But feel many of us opened our idea with thoughts in this new direction along the many others that we explore and encounter many times.

When Steemit Inc. Intern, @picokernel told us that he was going to buy a house I got a crazy idea for the sake of coupling Realestate with Blockchain, and so did everyone else - so here we are! Join in, Crazy People :) Join in! ~ @fyrstikken

Natestate (NEST) - Crowdfund / Co-Op / House Backed Asset (HBA) Idea

Working with many projects over the past year such as @taskmanager. Seven months ago I decided to create my own token called ViRGROW which was quickly noticed and commented by @compumatrix

Nice to see the @virtualgrowth VIRGROW UIA! A new exciting and productive Digital Asset joining the Bitshares ecosystem. Oops! Spoiler Alert. Can't wait for the details. ~ @compumatrix

Spoiler Alert: New VIRGROW UIA! ... joining the Bitshares ecosystem
TASKMANAGER Bitshares Giveaway and Information
Virtualgrowth Market Maker for bitshares UIAs: Buying and Selling TASKMANAGER, TRAIL, and VIRGROW
Steemprentice Crowd Guild Dividend share to members

Started giving market updates of bitshares steem related user issued assets (UIAs) such as TRAIL while more regularly attending meetings with @steemtrail that have evolved to include giveaways.

Steemit bitshares OPEN-STEEM and UIAs: STEEMP TASKMANAGER TRAIL VIRGROW Market Price / Volume Updates

Attended beyondbitcoin hangout (#188) with @sirlunchthehost 7 months ago and today finding myself listening to him on his own podcast seeing how we have both evolved and may have a chance to meet up in person in the future at SteemFest or otherwise.

Also been working with @mrwang off and on with his WANGCHANGE token and idea to make a "change" which he has accomplished notably in one of his ballpark videos. Our latest idea is that of a steemit loan which we are both part of along with other great steem(it) users. And I can't help but wonder... What is inside and/or outside of the box @mrwang?

WANGCENTS bitshares UIA presented by WANGCHANGE, @virtualgrowth, @lilwallay, and @mrwang
Life path of continuous action, discovering, learning, thinking, understanding

This was at a time when I was struggling with recovering from Meningitis but couldn't function and heal in my current environment so I packed a bag, caught a bus, and went on my way... Not quite sure I am going to go, be living, staying, and what not. But choosing to live and go live. However life may be found for me to live. With my love of poker be sure to check out @spl's Steem(it) Poker League!

Steem(it) Poker League: Can't Wait to Play - Exploring Recent Links
virtualgrowth update ringing ears, busy healing, playing poker, and homeless traveling
1000 mile bus trip between casinos

Working on being and health as well as trading and hobby of playing poker
Bitshares UIAs: STEEM / Steemit & Beyond Bitcoin Related User Issued Assets - Vote for favorite giveaway!

Then about six months ago I started give away tokens as a way to spread wealth and thinking to incorporate other ideas over time. Sometimes going back to the idea of living without or with less money. I have attained a different way of living with spending "my" money but exchanging services in helping others and receiving (help with) food and places to stay in return.

Living without money while exploring proof of work ideas
Proof of work exchanged for place to stay
Getting $500 in chips for playing poker 50 hours as a type of proof of work
Being homeless and helping homeless (disabled) people
IDEA: Showing / Using STEEM Values Instead of U$D for Rewards and Payouts
Idea to give away STEEM & bitshares assets to everyone on steemit that wants some!
VIRGROW - virtualgrowth's bitshares UIA trading at $10+!
Steem assistance act of helping and working with people and commmunities

Also greatly looking forward to what VIVA has in store for us. Waiting many months since funds has been raised, team meeting up, and lots of development being done. @tradeqwik is coming along nicely with many good ideas and it's own asset as well!

Viva Coin Compilation of Introduction to VIVA Series by @williambanks, Information, Links, Videos, and more
Check out VivaCoin and a thank you to VivaCoin welcome me on board!
Vivacoin list of reading, links, and resources
Beyond Bitcoin: Virgrow, Peerplays, and Viva Recording and Recent Links on Steemit
vGX is trade-able on tradeqwik with VIVA!
Virtualgrowth / VIRGROW Given Away Over 1000 Tokens Through Giveaways Posts!
What is virtualgrowth's VIRGROW (and vGX)?

Always thinking to explore ideas of sharing wealth of our new found wealth with cryptocurrencies!

Journey on steemit and evolving ideas: Giveaway / Market of UIAs and Game of Health / Wealth with rewards
Steemit Health Daily Food Game - Read and Comment to Play! - Prizes of 13 STEEM for Players
Giveaways - Record Breaking Amounts and Growing!
Thanks Everyone, MrWang, Viva , Zappl, Bitshares, Steem(it) Gigs and Shop - Get Tokens, and Check Out Crowd Sales

Virtualgrowth's idea of cross share dropping which I hope to find more opportunities with successful growing value projects that may benefit and grow together.

VIRGROW / ZAPPLE cross share drop
Virtualgrowth cross country adventures seeking crypto experiences
Virtualgrowth Crypto Dinner before State of Digital Money Conference
[OpenLedger at SmartMoney in Los Angeles](OpenLedger at SmartMoney in Los Angeles)

Looking forward to everything to come in shared explorations of making life better for everyone.

Best,

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