If you are a new comer here in steemit, then chances are that you've heard some of the following phrases : "Is this real?", or "this sounds too good to be true" or the sentence that I've heard the most before the official launch on July 4th "I'll believe it when I cash it in my hands".

And these doubts are understandable, you've never seen anything like this before, I've never seen anything like this before. In fact I don't know why I haven't addressed this earlier. Yesterday I wrote a post detailing how I was going to use some of the money that I made here, where in fact I should've put my attention in service to you the new-comers, showing you how steem dollars are not only real, but in fact has brought some a substantial improvement on the quality of life of many people already.

The truth is, barely a few months old, and steemit has already changed many lives for the better.

Today I wanted to share with you a few inspiring real life Stories about real people just like you and me, and their amazing success stories, and in the process leaving you with a notable chapter from each one of those wonderful posts.

Heidi Travels to Peru Only with Steem Dollars By @heiditravels

I was broke as a joke when I joined Steemit, and I made more money in this short span of time then I had in the past 10 years combined. My state of mind in that time period was shocked, excited, and suspicious. After realizing that this platform was for real I started brainstorming for my next trip. I want to provide fresh new material for this amazing community and to take you all with me on the journey ahead.

I'm headed to Peru

I fly out on my birthday and I couldn't think of a better present!

For me, to travel is to discover. I get the urge to travel because I want to be an active participant in the world. We live in a time where you can board an aircraft that in a few hours can take you thousands of miles and drop you off in a completely different part of the world. Who wouldn't want to take advantage of that at least once in their life?!

It’s been 2 months since my last trip and I’m ready for more. I’m heading to South America, to Peru, to Machu Picchu, and maybe the Amazon. I’m bringing Steemit and whoever wants to follow the journey with me. I’ve upped my camera game so the footage is going to be epic. I plan on helping those I meet to set up their very own Steemit accounts.

P.S: if you still don’t think that the steem is real, wait to hear the next story:

My First Car at Age 30...Powered By Steemit.com - Behold The STEEM MOBILE! BY @cryptoctopus

I'm Proud to Announce the World First Steem Mobile!

For most of my life, I was a hitchhiker. I used my thumb to go to and fro in my home country of Canada. I met some interesting characters along the way and had discussion I may have never had any other ways.

I've been blogging on Steemit.com since the end of May. To be honest, I would have never imagined in my wildest dream that because of this, I would get to purchase my first car without incurring any debts. Please, don't get me wrong, I'm not here to boast or show off. I just want this to be a testimony of what is possible when you put your mind into something and are willing to take risk when you see an opportunity.

I've been praying for a while now that God would bless me with the means to achieve my dream of purchasing my family's property and to build a family that glorify his kingdom. They have been answered in a way that is truly "miraculous".

I can remember copying by hand Gary Halbert's sales letter by hand in order to perfect my copywriting skills. I remember blogging everyday for a whole year without much financial rewards. I remember those time when I despaired for falling short of my goals.

All of this, today, show me that it was worth it.

How Steemit Is Rewiring My Brain To Become A Better Person: A Journey From Being A Self-Centered Scrooge To Community-Loving Servant In 21 Days By @rok-sivante

When I started on Steemit a month ago, I had no idea what I was in store for.

I knew blockchain technology is going to be a huge wave and somehow needed to get in on it - and when I discovered Steemit, it seemed like a great opportunity to get my feet wet. I dove in, without expectations.

When payday came, I confess - it was awesome. I made more money through 3 weeks writing than I've ever made in the same amount of time in my entire life. That was awesome. But, as more & more time was invested into the platform, I realized something profound was happening...

I was changing.

Not a superficial change. Something deep within myself was undergoing a transformation.

There has never been a blockchain-based, cryptocurrency-incentivized social media platform like Steemit before. It's a whole new environment. It breaks us out of the mental ruts we've been stuck in after years on Facebook.
Inevitably, exploration in such an innovative space is bound to shake up, expand, shatter, challenge, and upgrade our mental constructs of the world. Taking the time to adapt to such a leading-edge socio-economic-collaborative system is pretty much guaranteed to stretch one's neurosphere.

For some people, Steemit might just be a new space to keep up their old trolling habits or bitch & complain about how unfair it is that the whales are an "elite" with all the voting power. So be it. For me, engaging my talents & passion to make the most of this opportunity and create value for others has been a transformational process. Truthfully, it has made me a better person.

So make what you will of it. Though if your mind & heart are open, this is quite the space to play around in and rewire your brain to continuously become a better, upgraded version of yourself through producing outstanding value for others and the community.

Now get to it... ;-)

Christmas In July: Our Vacation Was Funded Entirely By Steem Dollars By @stellabelle

I haven't had a vacation in well, I can't even remember the last one I took. It might have been 7 years ago. I can't really remember. I haven't allowed myself to take a vacation because I haven't had any extra money that I felt I could spend on something frivolous like a vacation. I'm a workaholic, too. I rarely take any days off to relax or do enjoyable things. I cannot remember the last time I went on a date or hung out with friends. I literally try to make every day productive in some way, either by learning, writing or making art. Deep down, I'm afraid of going broke again. And I can't go broke because I am a mother, a single mother, and another life form depends upon me for her survival.

This year, even before I found Steemit, I had resolved to take a vacation. I knew I needed it. I had completely forgotten how to take a day or days off from working. We decided to go to the East Coast, visit my brother, some friends and go to the place where wild horses live freely, in a place called Assateague Island.

After I had made some decent money on Steemit, I cashed out about $2500 worth and put it on a Simple bank Visa card. I used that card to fund our entire vacation. It felt really weird when I made the first purchase at a Wendy's drive-thru. I kept thinking to myself, "I wrote an article that has now turned into this hamburger." It was a really bizarre and surreal feeling. Here's my very first cryptocurrency hamburger purchase:

I wasn't expecting to see dolphins! Dolphins and sea creatures in general have a new meaning to my life!

How Steemit Has Changed My Life: From living on $1/day and 3 hours of electricity to Having over $41,319 By @infovore

I'm probably a poster boy for Steemit's potential success in Africa and its viral growth overall.

Here is a sample pic of where I grew up as a kid. Funnily, I grew up in a middle-class family. At least, according to the living standards here.

The standard of living is generally low and housing facilities are substandard......

What was even much worse was the power supply. We would be very lucky to get 3 hours of electricity daily. And oftentimes, we would go for weeks without having any power supply.
…
But after several months still without any luck, I decided to settle for freelance writing.
I was having a bit of success here and there. Not enough to survive, though. But still worth working on.
Then, the stars aligned.

The Steemit Dream

Exactly 4 weeks ago, I stumbled on @stellabelle's Medium post about Steemit taking over the social media….
I've never been this fascinated over an online community before. And the rewards are just a nice welcome bonus…….

From living on less than $2/day to having enough at my disposal. I'm deeply grateful to all those who work day and night to make Steemit successful.

To all those whose efforts have been unappreciated, you're changing lives.

Now I can get a better smartphone, power bank, live a comfortable life and develop myself as a writer.

Steemit is a fantasy coming true.

Closing Thoughts

First of all, what else is there to say after this? How can I add anything after @infovore's incredible story?

If there is one thing that we've learned from this is that steemit gives people a fighting chance even in some of the most underprivileged places in the world . steemit can help you fulfill your dreams, travel the world, take some well deserved holidays with your kid, it can even help become a better person.. It has the potenial to do all of that. Hell, it has achieved all of that and more. It's up to you to decide what steemit can bring to your life, and what you can bring to steemit. Because here, you may just find what you're looking for.

steemit is not real, it’s amazing!