Acknowledge and Celebrate Inspiration in Your Life: Contest Winners

TALES OF INSPIRATION: WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Exciting News. We have the winners of our Tales of Inspiration Contest. Last year, Kendra and I announced a RosieCentral Writing Contest. We urged you, our readers, ...

• To Find

• To Celebrate

• To Acknowledge

...inspiration in your life. Then we asked you to write about that inspiration and share with us.

TALES OF INSPIRATION: THE CONTEST

Kendra and I have held many writing contests in the past. We’ve also served as writing judges for other organizations.

But this writing contest was different. In our other writing contests, a person could choose to write about any aspect of her life. This contest focuses on INSPIRATION — past, present, or even wished for in the future.

A PRIZE

And there is a second difference. In all of our previous contests, the prize was getting your piece published on our website. And that is also true of this contest. But as this was our first inspiration writing contest on our new website--RosieCentral--we decided to offer a prize to the First Place Winner. The prize is one of our Thai Silk Handmade Journals. These special journals are made by women in Thailand. They weave the fabric for us in chosen colors. A journal like this is great to expand your notes of those moments in your life that you want to record, vow to remember, and intend to build on.

Although only the First Place Winner got a journal, everyone who entered the contest got a FREE COPY OF OUR INTRODUCTION TO WRITING ALCHEMY. We've sent out the ebook version of this Introduction to Writing Alchemy (an $11.97 value). If you entered the contest and did not receive the ebook, let me know in the COMMENTS section below and I'll get it out to you as quickly as possible. This is our gift to you whether you won or not. We want you to know that it pays to enter -- to go outside your comfort zone.

A Word of Explanation

Time is a funny thing. We put out the call for Inspiration Contest Entries last year. And the response was incredible -- many more entries than we anticipated. Sure, it takes time to read and make decisions on all the entries. Then Kendra and I needed more time to discuss our decisions and create a final list of winners. Next we did light editing of the winning entries and worked on a blog post on RosieCentral for each of them. And finally, we organized them in a way to showcase different themes.

But even all of that doesn't fully explain the time that has passed. What can I say? Life kept getting in the way. So with apologies for the lateness, we are excited to announce the winners. Congratulations to each of you.

And if your name isn't on this list? Please know that we appreciated receiving your contest entry. There were just so many great entries that we couldn't include all of them. We hope that the writing you did will inspire you to write more about your life, even if you didn't win this time. Each life story is important and we invite you to submit to a future contest.

GOLD WINNER: First Place

Sara Etgen-Baker

Victory Over the Fire-Breathing Dragon

SILVER WINNER: Second Place

Constance Lieber

I'm Not Old -- Are You?

BRONZE WINNER: Third Place

Mairi Neil

Passion to Make a Positive Difference: A Sense of Purpose

RUNNERS UP

Marilyn Janson

Road Warrior

Susan Payne

The Edge of Wild

Patricia Hollinger

I Am the Master of My Fate

Ann J. Bennett

Inspiration for an Ordinary Life

Julie Catagnus

Just Us Guys

April Hamilton

A Purpose for My Pain

Nancy Julien Kopp

Keeping Family Alive

PUBLISHING WINNING STORIES ON OUR WRITING WEDNESDAYS BLOG

On RosieCentral, we feature stories of women who inspire us with the hope that they will also inspire you. On Wednesdays, we write about ways you can use writing to find your own inspiration. So you won't be surprised that we're going to publish one of these award-winning stories on each of our Writing Wednesdays beginning May 3.

We urge you to return each Wednesday after that to read about inspiration in the lives of our winners and to find their valuable message for your own life. As you read the stories of these winners, think about your own life and reflect on what makes you feel inspired. Is it something you have done in the past? Is it a normal part of your life that always leaves you feeling motivated? Is it an activity that you want to be doing in the future that you're excited about? Whatever it is, find, cherish, and share the inspiration in your life.

Want to Read All These Stories?

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In the meanwhile, here are a few words of inspiration from well-known women. Try putting one of these quotes into action in your life today. Maya Angelou

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive.

Eleanor Roosevelt

You must do the things you think you cannot do.

Mindy Kaling

I'm giving you permission to root for yourself and while you're at it root for those around you, too.

George Eliot (Mary Ann Cross, leading Victorian novelist)

It is never too late to be what you might have been.

Serena Williams

A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.

Michelle Obama

Am I good enough? Yes I am.

See You Next Wednesday, May 3

When we publish Sara Etgen-Baker's Gold Prize Winning Story:

Victory Over the Fire-Breathing Dragon

<<And Check Out the Great Photo Of Sara with Her Gold Prize Award>>

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