Lessons from the Hack: "It's not chores. It's Mayan."

Say that out loud.

"It's not chores. It's Mayan."

Do you hear it? This is a running joke in our family. My dad has a heavy accent from Northeastern PA that is a mix of all-things-tough guy. LOL He was raised by a tough guy, ran the streets with tough guys of all nationalities and his speech reflects it. When you ask him how many cookies he wants, he will usually say "I dunno, gimme a couple two-tree."

not three. tree.

Drives my mother insane. LOL but don't try to correct him - just accept it.

Now, I've spent time writing all that in the intro - because I wanted to give you a fun way to make this saying your own.

Adopt it. Believe it. Own it.

We have so many things that are engraved into our minds.

We walk around projecting these lessons, mantras, mottos - and I really want to encourage you to add this belief into your daily walk with the intent of safety, protection and a mindshift that will hopefully be contagious to all those who wander the cryptorealm.

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I want us to tattoo this motto onto the grey matter of our brains.

"It's not yours. It's mine" (or - if you want to sound like my dad? sure... go for it. I'm pretty sure he will give you permission to say it like him and repeat: "It's not chores. It's Mayan.")

Why is this so important?

Because hackers think your money is theirs.

No. I don't want you to gloss over that and just accept it as "part of the wild, wild west of crypto". We need to STOP accepting that hacking is just "the norm".

If it has become the norm - It doesn't HAVE to be.
And the sooner we start BELIEVING that and ACTING upon it: the better.

You know what I have been most surprised by my hack?
Before my hack, I assumed it was an occurrence that happened few and far between. Why? Because it just simply wasn't something that rattled around in my brain. I wasn't talking about it - and I think shame/embarrassment probably stopped many people from talking about it.

Remember when the #metoo movement first began? And ALL THESE PEOPLE came out as saying they were also abused? It didn't shock me - because I had been abused also. Not once, not twice, but multiple times by multiple people in my childhood. It didn't surprise me in the least that so many had been, and so many had been quiet about it. It's a trauma that has shame at its core - of COURSE people kept it in the shadows.

But this??
BEING A VICTIM OF HACKING??

THIS surprised me.

I had no idea it carried the same type of shame stigma with it? But since I've spoken about my experience - I'm SHOCKED at how many people have been raped by hackers. TOO MANY PEOPLE have come rushing forward to say that they have been too, and TOO OFTEN, their attitude is so saddened, defeated, and accepting that they put themselves in harm's way - so they somehow deserved it. (what?? no!!!)

NO ONE deserves to be abused in ANY manner. EVER.

Yes, you can protect yourself better, but you did NOT deserve it, and you should NOT accept that it's just a matter of time before it happens to you.

Cryptoverse, we need to do better.

I have fully admitted my responsibility in being complacent. And I'm committed to protecting myself better. I thought that the purpose in sharing my hacking story (and all that comes of it) was to help those who have been hacked. Now, I see there is an additional portion of helping those who haven't been - and CHANGING THE MINDSET NOW.

You NEED to REJECT this "acceptance" mindsest. You NEED to stop assuming that it's only a "matter of time" before it happens to you. It DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SO.

YOU have worked hard to earn it.
YOU will protect it and NOT accept that it's a tragedy waiting to happen.

Think of your future hacker ATTEMPT (ATTEMPT!! BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE SUCCESSFUL!) and tell them that borrowed phrase from my dad:

Then smile, and give a little nod to the "tough guy" inside you. Reclaim that space, baby. The Cryptoverse belongs to us. Not them. Don't retreat! Advance, hold, and spread the word.

Image source: Analuisa Gamboa
Image source: Somia DCosta