When you attend a conference or meetup, take off your old hat beforehand.

I get it, you go to a conference to see the big names, to learn and network. And you sit there and listen intently… wondering how… how can I achieve a certain degree of success.

The stage will be host to giants in the industry. But know this… You don’t need to stand in their shadows. This is a diverse crowd, a reflection of how many industries this emerging technology touches. Your project or idea will take wings with two widely available components; community and education.

Because there are forces working against us. Even if you’re not conspiracy minded there is tangible evidence. Regulation is a good example, it’s easy to see who that serves. Especially with the right to repair. The best defense to those forces working against us is simple. They don’t want freedom or privacy because that would strip them of their power and control. That’s ok because there’s a work around.

More than anything they work to divide. Race or religion, resident or refugee, red or blue… this is truly how they conquer.

So we know the problem, what’s the solution?

We must remember that there is more that connects us than divides us. Put me on the shores of Zimbabwe and guess what I need? People. The need for each other is what connects us the most. A friendly smile from a random person. A lively chat with a new friend. We need each other but more so everyone in this room, everyone watching this or reading the transcript. Despite what you’ve heard this is a small community of creators and builders who are innovating.

You matter… You matter a lot… if you’re here in support of a solid project or building a project the two components that will determine your success is still community and education aka people. You can chase the money but you have to fill a need or solve a problem or provide value of some nature. And even when you get all the money, guess what? You still need people.

So that’s why I titled this “take off your hat” – when you join the crypto world you’re not playing by the old rules. Those rules are for people who created boarders and banks. Before there was permission less and trust less. And a form of self ownership that transforms the landscape of free exchange. Ross Ulbricht is a good example of someone who is paying the price so we can be here talking. He and the people around him saw the value created.

So if you can hear me now, know this… the ties that bind us are stronger than any outside forces. In this world the competition can frequently become cohorts. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. So let’s take off our old hats and shed the old way of thinking. It doesn’t matter how divided the world may seem, if you’re here flying the crypto flag then you’re with us. Let’s build upon our shared values. The ability to privately exchange with freedom that empowers progress and innovation.

And that’s how we game the system. That’s how we win. We work together, plain and simple. We think outside the box and we innovate. With a slight change of perception we win. Making the old system obsolete by building a better system.

We should always strive to uphold the Crypto ethos. As established and outlined by Timothy May in 1988 with his manifesto and many others including John Perry Barlow, Phil Zimmerman, Hal Finney and the real Satoshi Nakamoto with his white paper. In order for the idea of freedom to survive we need community and education. I encourage everyone who seeks success to reach out and make genuine connections with people. Go the extra mile, take an extra step out of the kindness of your heart.

We can give more than we get in every instance. If someone shows you love you are capable of giving more back. That’s our super power, that’s what makes humanity unique… we can give more than we get …and if everyone on Earth helped each other …the world would change overnight.

TL;DR / Summary:

• Take off your old hat and think outside the life size box, that’s how we create & innovate.
• Build community and join communities, educate yourself and others.
• Help each other that’s how we game the system, that’s how we win.
• Remember, there is more that connects us than divides us. Give more than you get because there’s enough on Earth for all of us.

Now let’s start hosting meetups! GrooveDude CryptoMindsetReset.com About the author: GrooveDude has two main interests, crypto and mushrooms. He hosts crypto meetups in Vegas with VegasCryptoGroup.com. He’s building a decentralized food supply with DecentralizedGardens.com and he’s facilitating the use of crypto with his Magic Mushroom Spores from SporeBaby.com. He has been a figure in crypto since early 2018 with his live broadcasts on DecentralizedTV and his Vegas Crypto podcasts. His based takes can be found on Twitter @LifeSizeBox. GrooveDude is the organizer of a virtual summit called Crypto Mindset Reset. A two day summit highlighting the best crypto projects in the world.