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becoming, bliss, competition, contest, destiny, faith, fearless, grace, knowledge, life, living, old maps, passion, poetry, publishing, reason, restless, reward, spirit, spirituality, strength, truth, understanding, value, wisdom
Over the weekend, I was involved in the setup of a contest for aspiring writers. It’s an association I’ve had for many years, and almost without exception, I find myself speaking to writers about their talents. I’d like to think that I am both kind and encouraging with that obligation, but I also have come to another realization.
Writing is an art, regardless of whether you are the best. There is one (or maybe millions more) who will find worth in your words. There, your reward. As writers, we can be discouraged when measuring ourselves against another. I suspect that’s true for everything, and not just writing. But the truth is we measure ourselves against a very small population of the world – those who write. Instead, might we measure ourselves against the whole of creation, knowing ours is a gift that needs not publication to be.
The contest I am currently judging has about twenty entries. I refuse to give awards for more than first place, for every writer should assume that if they didn’t win, they were second. And yet, even if it were known that someone was in last place, that still places them ahead of the thousands who never thought themselves talented enough to enter.
If you are an honor student in high school and choose to attend Georgetown because you want to be a lawyer, you should be prepared that it will be tough because you’re competing with the best. If you attend another university, you might find you do better because you’re not discouraged by the competition. Does it make you any less? Of course not, and if you become discouraged and opt out, then what have you robbed the universe of? Your talents – your one of a kind, unique wonderful talents.
I will likely never pen a best seller, but I write….and there, my joy, my gift continuing – my life eternal. Regardless of the others who share my obsession, I am uniquely wholly me. My weaknesses are my strengths. When I get discouraged (thinking everything I write sounds the same), I remind myself of the one who has never read a thing I’ve written. There, I am new. There, I am only.
There, I win every single time.
. . .
YES! 🙂
O, thank you, my sweet beautiful friend. ~ Love, Bobbie
And that makes you uniquely wonderful Bobbie! It is always an awesome act to share your gift with many whether in a contest, whether reading at libraries, schools, churches, home for elderly, for what you will always share is your heart and I find with all whom I meet that a persons selfless heart is always a great priceless treasure because it does belong to you alone, to share with another when you share. The love alive within it is place there in the beginning by a loving God, so when you give of it to another you bless them in ways you may not never see…but it is a treasure that many never let go of, because whenever they see your name they will be moved in years to come to look up some of your poems and relive what you placed within them years ago…therefore your words are always wonderfully alive…yes living words. Wonderful message and post my beloved sister! You are one of a kind! Hugs and blessings always!
You humble me, dearest Wendell………… As my daddy is fond of saying, ‘we never miss what we give away’………. There, our one and only truth. ~ Love to you, sweet brother. ~ Bobbie
like this single blue (:-O) feathered sparrow (?) on this single branch… blurring out everything behind it.
🙂
O, Vimal………. you have me blushing………. (and I love blushing)……. Thank you! ~ Always, Me
…..and yes, your observations are true – that is a sparrow……..
🙂
…and you are that sparrow, Bobbie, not some brightly colored tropical bird, not a gaudy peacock, not a hawk or an eagle, but that sparrow that, with its happy, warbling song warms the world around it. ~xo~
Me
……..that alone on the branch can see beyond the sunset…………. Thank you. ~ me