I know this post has long been overdue. Pardon my crazy schedule and my inability to tweak my way around it, especially during weekdays when my 9-to-5 job eats up most of my time. But better late than never, yes?
If you remember, on September 19, I published a blog post regarding my entry into the 2012 Blog Engage Guest Blogging Contest #6.
Image courtesy of m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Today, I’m happy to let all of you know that I bagged second place, which got me an instant $150, a portion of which had already been utilized to cover two of my former classmates’ entrance fees to our high school batch’s grand reunion this coming December.
A heartfelt thank you
Right at the onset, it didn’t necessarily feel right to let my right hand know what my left hand was doing – in other words, broadcast where the money was going. But after careful consideration, I had to concede that everyone who helped me win this contest had the right to know where what they had helped me win would go.
Yes, my dear friends and readers, your support and the effort you had expended had not been for naught. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported my contest entry via likes, shares, votes and comments. My entry wouldn’t have made it far without your help.
Lessons I learned
Learning comes by doing. Whoever originally came up with that line is spot on. In the case of Blog Engage and the guest blogging contest, lessons I’ve already learned in the past were further reinforced.
1. A contest may be a contest, but winning isn’t all there is to it.
Joining a contest entails a lot of work, especially if you’re there for the win. Then again, if you don’t enjoy the process, at the end of the day, you fail to realize it isn’t all about the numbers. More importantly, it’s making friends and learning from their experiences.
2. In the blogging world, shyness (or pride, for that matter) will take you nowhere.
No matter how jaded your perception of the world has become, believe me, there are tons of people out there who are simply waiting for the perfect opportunity to help. If you need votes or comments, praying for them to come down from heaven is one thing. But what clinches the deal is going out there and asking for them.
3. A community can help you expand your reach farther than you can ever imagine.
When I joined the contest, I didn’t have a working Pinterest account. Truths be told, I had no idea how to work Pinterest. But because Pinterest votes mattered, I decided to set up an account, joined Pinterest syndication threads sponsored by my Filipino syndication community, and voila, of all the contestants, I ended up gathering the most number of votes on Pinterest.
Final word
Jena Isle, a fellow Pinay and the ultimate 2012 Blog Engage Blogging Contest #6 winner, struck a chord in me through this line (or thereabouts): Whenever I join a contest, I make sure to give it my best shot.
Indeed, what more can be asked of us once we’ve given our all?
Still, at the end of it and your best isn’t good enough, which will be the case at least once in your lifetime, fret not. When joining contests of this sort, remember that the experience, the friendship and the lessons are, to say the least, priceless and worth all the trouble – things you probably wouldn’t have realized had you not decided to join.
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yeah, contests are mostly joined because of hobby and interests, for fun. and if one wins, then it makes it even more exciting that that person won from doing something they enjoy.
Thanks for the comment, Fifi. I certainly agree with everything you just said. 🙂
Hi congrats on winning.
George, thanks for visiting my blog and for the congratulations!