Any competition a person decides to participate in requires a strong passion, courage, dedication, and a healthy competitive nature. Do you think when a person lacks the cutthroat competitive attitude can excel or will fail miserably? When engaging in a competition, do you think they are always fair, or do you believe the judges know who will win the contest from the start? Throughout your life have you taken a chance on a competition, and if so, what was the competition? I am unsure how I feel about competitions and have done a few. I put great effort and heart into the two writing competitions I entered, but nothing came from them. I will never say I regret the competitions I entered, but anyone who lacks self-confidence can make a person feel worse and question their abilities. Of course, even with the understanding of the challenges of winning any competition, they should be acknowledged as a fun way to build knowledge instead of a must-win, and no matter what the competition is, there are many talented individuals with vastly different strengths in the world.

A few months ago, I received an email regarding another writing competition. We were dealing with losing our cat Sundance during this time, and I was not in a good state of mind. I thought about writing about the devastating loss for a moment before writing the thought off and decided against entering. A couple of days ago, I received the same email, but the deadline for submission was different as it was not for an early bird submission. Even though the loss of Sundance weighs heavy on my heart and mind, there will never be a day it does not affect me, and I know taking chances is a crucial part of life, so I am considering trying again. Of course, I have several ideas on what to write about, but I am unsure of the best way I should proceed. I always keep a notebook close by so I can add my ideas as they come to my mind because they come to me at random times. I want to ask if anyone reading could share any advice, thoughts, or ideas, please?

I have mentioned this several times before, but I have had a strong passion for writing for as long as I can remember. There once was a time when I wanted more than anything to be a journalist, but that never came to fruition. Do I regret not pursuing this career path? I cannot answer that question honestly because I do not know. Part of me does regret it, but the other part believes that everything happens for a reason, and for reasons I cannot explain, journalism was not in the cards for me. I have no doubt it would have been a fascinating career, and I would have excelled because of my love for writing, but I can honestly say there are some topics I am too passionate about and could have been a weakness in the bigger picture. I am always surprised how these reporters can get through some segments without showing any tears or signs of any emotions. So many things will make me sad and in tears, but others will cause me so much anger I end up in tears anyway. I do not have the talent or ability to turn off my emotions and spill out all over my face. I guess it is a good thing I am not the gambling type because poker would be terrible with my facial expressions😉.

For anyone reading this post and who writes regularly, what makes you enjoy writing? Do you remember when you first started to enjoy writing? What brought you to continue to do so? Have you ever entered a writing competition, and if so, why did you decide to try? Are there topics you enjoy writing about more than others, and if so, why? Are there topics you avoid because they are not enjoyable? Do you have a process you follow when you write, and if so, what is that process? Do you enjoy pen-to-paper writing or on a computer? My writing process differs because I typically prefer to start writing using a notebook (as I have said, I have many for different reasons) but then type everything on my computer. I believe the reason I write this way is because I feel more connected to what I am writing when I handwrite. I have no idea why this is, but my process has always been a little unique, or at least that is what I have been told.

If you are writing for yourself, do you still reread anything to make corrections? When you write for others to view, do you have different ways to check spelling and grammar? When I participated in the two competitions, not only did I reread my paper several times, but I had a few people I trusted to read them because I wanted to make sure the paper made sense and did not need to correct anything. I also use a website called Grammarly for confirmation everything written is clear, spelled correctly, flows the best way, and is precise. Of course, some of this is because I am a little (okay A LOT) obsessive and critical of myself. After the last competition, I was disappointed the article did not place higher because I worked extremely hard on it, and it was about a fascinating and admirable young lady who permitted me to write her story. Everyone who read the article, even the young lady the article was talking about, thought it was great and a winner. After the disappointing outcome, I said I would not do another because it was too upsetting and made me feel like I was not a good writer. 

Thank you for visiting my site today! I hope you are having an enjoyable weekend and have done something that made you happy! The smallest things can make a positive impact on our lives. We do not need to go on extravagant vacations or massive shopping sprees. Many times, simply sitting on the front porch or a bench in the park can bring much happiness at no cost. Money will never buy happiness because this is an emotion we can choose to embrace. I sat out on the stairs of our porch and had a long conversation with one of the outside cats I feed several times a day. I had to try to make him understand that our neighbor does not appreciate his “Tomboy” behavior and does not understand how sweet and loving he is. Logically, I know this poor cat had no idea what I was saying, but I wanted him to feel loved, accepted, and safe! I do want to read your thoughts on the many questions I have asked. I know some people are shy about adding comments, but please know I appreciate any comments or advice you might have. Please never forget I am always sending y’all LOTS of love❤️, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes🌈!

Always, Alyssa