How are you all doing today? In the degen world, its been another one of those life changing weeks.  Liquidity Mining rewards just dropped, and people are feeling bullish about life.  

I’m pretty happy myself, however work hasn’t been as fulfilling.  I’m enjoying the fact that I don't have to work today, but know when I go to work on Monday, its just going to be more of the same.  I should be blessed that I have a consistent job.  Wouldn’t it be fun if my consistent work existed in crypto?  

This story is about how I screwed myself out of .04 E (at the time, worth 150 dollars, now it might be a touch less, who cares.)

Alright. One day I was minding my own business having a philosophical discussion with myself on whether the community on Farcaster onchaincoin and the corresponding NFT collection NFT prescription pills are a scam/rug/shill, or if it has staying power. 

This is a one of quite a few drops on Farcaster, the popular decentralized social media app that gives you the ability to actually hang on to your followers, and your community, as you migrate between clients.

My feeling skeptical about onchaincoin/NFT prescription pills is likely because because I was still a bit upset regarding how I did not have a chance to tap into the public mint, but that's not the point.

I saw this particular post, mentioning Golden Onchain Pills. As you may (or may not know) the face of NFT prescription pills is lamaboo. She sounds like fun.  I don’t have a power badge on Farcaster, so she probably doesn't even realize I’m alive.  I thought that was supposed to be one of the things that separates Farcaster out from the web2 social media platforms, but I digress. 

If you were to search lamaboo now, you'll see 3 different entries for members named 'lamaboo' in Farcaster. All of these folks have different usernames.  One of those members, with the username 'babavoss’, created a reply about an onchain pill drop.

I missed that there was a different name, babavoss, instead of lamaboo.eth. The one thing I have always known, and recently forgot, that crypto influencers tend to have quite a few imposters hovering around social media. I did not take the imposter username tangent into account.  Mistake #1

Anyway, I noticed that the 'babavoss' version of lamaboo had a golden onchain pill for .04 E, the exact price of the previous mints. At face value, that was brilliant!

Lama Boo ⛓️🔵 on Warpcast

https://zora.co/collect/base:0xd19aa744c4a341181b3178be410245231122c620/1 💊 Golden Onchain Pill Mint details Live Price: 0.04 Supply: 999 Max per wallet: 3 Place: Zora https://zora.co/collect/base:0xd19aa744c4a341181b3178be410245231122c620/1

Farcaster

I quickly changed my mind from being a person who swore the whole mint off, to a person who jumped on this NFT purchase. Didn’t even catch that this was a reply. Mistake #2.

While this saga was beginning to unfold, I said a few things to hype myself up and justify this purchase.

I'll sell half of my current degen wallet of 10,000 (which enables me to take part in tipping), to cover this .04 E purchase, after I failed to obtain one of the original NFT prescription pill mints. I would be able to make it up after the fact right? Mistake #4.

Finally, I happened to be on my way out of work when this process was happening. I was more focused on leaving for the day versus trying to research NFT drops. Mistake #5.

I’m sitting here making excuses of course. In the end, I take responsibility for the loss of .04 E. I’m thankful it didn’t break my spirit, but I realize I need to do better.

I know I have quite a few lessons to learn on top of what I’ve learned from this incident.

I never used to be a fan of listicles; I could say I’m still not. But, I’ll try to put a little meaning, and a little soul into this list of lessons. I can hopefully feel a little better once this is done.

Greed is still going to play a large factor during this bear market.
 

As of this writing, here are some token prices to consider (as of 4/13)

DEGEN: $.027

BTC: $67,391.63

ETH: $3271.24

Most of these tokens, well, all of these tokens, have hit ATH within the last few months. There’s a great potential for fresh highs to come in the future. Nevermind the recent dip that happened 4/12…

Major events like the Bitcoin Halving, recent degen airdrops, ETH spot ETFs, and more, have brought an even crazier buzz to crypto than I’ve ever seen.

I often get (and I have mostly bots following me on farcaster) people who recruit me into their latest DeFi game, project, or amazing endeavor that will pay me thousands of dollars to help market these products that will scam innocent people out of money.

Why? Because we’re all attracted to the idea of generational wealth. We’ve seen hundreds of posts that mention how XYZ token airdrop was able to pay a person's student loans off, how others were debt free, and more. I’ve been able to cut into my debt with degen airdrops personally. But, knowing that makes me think I can go for more. Which can sometimes lead to making some silly mistakes.

Even though I’ve been dabbling in the crypto ecosystem off and on since 2013, I really have not spent quality time learning and understanding. Not enough to not fall victim to these scams.

I have to ask myself sometimes, what would have happened if I had spent more time learning about crypto, coding, etc, then going about my normal work and personal life? Would this help me not make mistakes? I probably still would, but it’s fun to at least think about it.

There are many people who spent more time since 2010 and prior to learning, growing, and expanding their mindset around Web3, cryptocurrency, social finance, and more, to be able to consistently succeed.  Possibly, because I chose not to spend the same amount of time, I did not have 

If you can help it, do not let financial gain be the main driver of any NFT purchase, drops, farming, or anything in crypto (I am well aware that it’s much easier said than done).

While financial stability is undoubtedly crucial, it is imperative to recognize that inflation affects more than just our wallets. The soaring inflation rates we are witnessing in the United States are a testament to the pervasive nature of this economic phenomenon. 

Everyday items that were once affordable have become increasingly expensive, putting a severe strain on household budgets. Unfortunately, for many people, their income has not kept pace with the rising costs, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.

This disparity between income and expenses has profound implications for the well-being of individuals and societies as a whole. When basic necessities become luxuries, people's quality of life suffers. Housing, healthcare, education, and other essential services become inaccessible to many, leading to social inequality, stress, and even civil unrest.

Connecting this to crypto, the impact of inflation can be detrimental towards making decisions regarding NFTs, purchasing tokens, and interacting on the ‘casino’ side of crypto.  The financial side of things can be overwhelming.  Cryptocurrency serves as a revolutionary change to the financial ecosystem. But crypto needs to be more than just the financial side, to the best of our ability. 

Use moments like the mistakes that are made, the lessons that you’ve learned, and more, when you enter the crypto world to take stock in your personal ecosystem. 

The idea of improving your personal ecosystem for progression in life is a valuable one. It suggests that by carefully selecting and cultivating the people, experiences, and habits in your life, you can create an environment that supports your well-being and growth.

For instance, if you have friends who constantly belittle your achievements, especially in an area you're passionate about like crypto, it may be time to reevaluate the dynamics of those relationships. Surround yourself with individuals who uplift you, encourage your endeavors, and celebrate your successes. Your personal ecosystem should be a safe and nurturing space where you feel supported and inspired.

Furthermore, the concept of the world being a learning ground is a profound one. It implies that every experience, whether positive or negative, has the potential to teach us valuable lessons. Rather than berating yourself for mistakes, view them as opportunities for growth. Analyze what went wrong, learn from it, and use that knowledge to make wiser choices in the future.

Remember, progress is not linear, and setbacks are an inevitable part of life. The key is to approach challenges with a growth mindset, embrace learning, and use your mistakes as stepping stones towards improvement. By nurturing a positive personal ecosystem and adopting a growth-oriented mindset, you can create a life that is both fulfilling and conducive to continuous growth.