I recently succumbed to the social conversations happening around the most polar cryptocurrency on the market and bought it. Yes — I am talking about Bitcoin.
As soon as I purchased my first million Satoshi’s I looked around my apartment, then out from the deck, thinking I just discovered the golden key in a Caramilk bar.
During my run the next morning, I pranced around the yacht club with a pep in my step like I had just won the lottery. My head was high and I felt invincible.
Then, Elon Musk tweeted and my golden key/lottery ticket suddenly felt like a really bad cold that just wouldn’t go away.
All the energy surrounding Bitcoin fled from my veins.
All the feelings of glamour that came with being an early adopter faded — quickly.
I felt lonely — almost like the whole house of cards fell and I was the only one left on the bus riding around all by myself without my community.
After a few days of feeling in the dumps, I realized something really interesting when I was reflecting in my journal. I realized that this was not the first time I was an early adopter of something that barely anyone seemed to understand. In fact, I had been here multiple times in my life.
While I could go on about those specifically, your time is valuable so I will stay on point.
During these other experiences when I was the first 10–15% of folks who “got it” or “bought in”. I remember meeting so much resistance from the middle. As with anything one believes in, I just kept pounding the pulpit and standing firmly behind my points, philosophy, or belief in a product, service, or next big innovation. At times it felt lonely, I felt a wee bit crazy and I felt a bit out of place.
The early adoption of Bitcoin was no different.
The truth is, if you are an early adopter, it can be lonely and not always glamorous. It can feel like you are all alone in the desert and no one is there with you. In today's world, platforms like Twitter can help with that but the truth is, it is not always glamorous, validating, or easy. If it was, literally everyone would be doing it.
So, for all you early adopters out there, keep being you.
Keep pounding the pulpit.
Keep believing.
Don’t stop because someone tweets a broken heart or because 9 out of 10 people think you are crazy.
The world needs you to challenge the norms, to create new things, and to believe in new possibilities when the middle seeks the comfort of the middle. When everyone is screaming to go left, hang a right. If you are wrong, learn, reflect, and accept the consequences.
However, if you are right — tell the world!
If you are an early adopter in the cryptocurrency space and want to connect, drop your Twitter handle below in the comments. I would love to connect!
Ryan