For as long as I can remember, I always wanted ...

{fill in the blank}. For me, I always wanted to write a book. I am sure everyone has something on their life's bucket list. And if a poll were done, writing a book right would be right next to jumping from a plane in a parachute.

I am here not because I plan to write a book on Steemit but because I may have discovered a unique platform to share my thoughts and observations in lieu of a book. About what? How about life. Maybe that is too broad of a category. But it is probably the most important category of all.

I got here for two reasons, maybe three.

1. I believe in the power of the blockchain. In decentralization. Of truly democratizing our global economy so all can freely participate and enjoy its benefits.

2. Because life is a journey. Before I found Steemit, I had just finished reading the book The Achievement Habit: Stop Wishing, Start Doing, and Take Command of Your Life by Stanford professor Bernard Roth. The book is okay, not great. However, one chapter in particular called "Getting Unstuck" deeply resonated with me. (For background, Roth and a number of other professors run a very popular program called the "design school.")

The chapter focused on reframing your dreams or goals by asking a different question. For example (from the book):
Question: How many design thinkers does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: Why use light bulbs?

The driving idea is to think out of the box. For a long time, I had been fixated on writing ... something ... a book of some sort. I attended Stanford University, and got kicked out of the graduate program in Religion at Princeton University (I finished up with a Master's degree) so I have bit of a bruised ego. I imagined I needed a Ph.d to write on issues important to me. On places like Steemit, I believe we are judged based upon the merit of our content not our credentials. Well after reading the book, I asked myself why do I need to write a book? Why use light bulbs? Why not a blog? And then I stumbled upon Steemit!

3. Writing for me is cathartic like Zen meditation. Being able to write freely, broadcast my own thoughts to a wider community on a platform like Steemit is liberating. Hence, I chose the username Satori. In the Zen Buddhist tradition, it means "looking into your own nature." In Western parlance, enlightenment. Writing frees my soul by feeling a part of a community. I have never been an active user of social media like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. The platforms just didn't work for me or fit my personality.

Here I am, so who am I?
In the existential sense, who I am does not matter. In a society so deeply, yet so sadly driven by a culture of celebrity, self-image, self-aggrandizement, the senses, etc., I prefer to see myself as everyone. I am like you. On this journey called life. Searching for a voice, a sense of purpose, fulfillment, destiny. And fun, of course. I embark on this journey with you and will see where it leads ...