Friday, February 19, 2010

Do You Vote For Yourself?



Yes. it's that time again. Blog This Challenge 32: Comfort Food voting has opened and I have a question for you.

Come on, be honest! Do YOU vote for your own entry in challenges? I know it is not the done thing, certainly not considered politically correct and most people would deny it until blue in the face, but I do. Not all the time, but when one of my entries captures my heart (and we all have those favourites) like my Literary Whore, or, yes I will admit it, my Midnight Oil Eat It Out entry for this challenge,  I vote for ME!

I also am a competitive git, and as I said in one of my earlier posts, have this immense fear that when I go look at the poll a big fat zero will be there staring right back at me. We all crave acknowledgement or recognition, it is the nature of the beast. Once we have a taste of it, we want more.

The two challenges I have won, the first one I entered: Challenge 26 Quick Fix Meal and the most recent Challenge 31 My New Super Power, have given me an incredible emotional high and confidence boost. And once you have experienced this, well it is addictive.



You see I do not, like a lot of people who write or blog, truely believe in myself. I still find it incomprehensible that I have 58 followers! 58 people who want to see what I write, who find me entertaining enough to want to come back, who like my blog. I think it stems back (at least in my case) to the life change which comes with being a Mum. It is the most rewarding job on the planet BUT you also lose a piece of yourself, of your individuality. A lot of my self-worth was tied into my former working life. It is a situation where if you do a good job, you receive a pat on the back in the form of personal praise, a bonus system, or review. Motherhood rewards are not that clear cut, and usually come from sources who you know have strong personal ties to yourself. And so you lose that little bit of confidence in your ability. Winning these challenges gives you back a piece of that. Others who do not have a strong personal involvement have chosen to honour you and your entry by voting for you.



Get free graphics at blixy.com!


Anyway, enough of my self-analysis, what about you? Do YOU vote for yourself? Just sometimes, maybe? Come on, 'fess up... a bit of self-belief is nothing to be ashamed of.

Oh, and go read all the entires in Challenge 32, and vote for the one you like best. Every one of us who enter would appreciate it more than you could ever realise.

No undue pressure or emotionally charged persuasion from this end this time, but...



8 comments:

Not From Lapland said...

never heard of before...going to investigate...

Jen said...

Congratulations in winning the superpowers one MM :) . When I first started blog this I had barely and readers or followers and so I did vote for myself. Lucky I did as that was the only vote I recieved on memory. I'm not sure what I'll do this time around :p

Diminishing Lucy said...

I WANT TO VOTE FOR ABOUT SIX of those entries, *including* my own! I haven't voted for myself,yet, BUT I did ask lovely husband to vote for me, just so I have at least one vote so I don't die of novice new girl embarassment at a big fat zero.........xx

Madmother said...

Let us know what you think Heather.

Thanks Jen.

Aha, Lucy, we need at least a couple of voting rights. My theory is if there is any others I love it is my obligation to vote for them. If I like a lot of them but not crazy over any I will vote for me. If I am really happy with my entry, then no choice, must vote for myself.

Diminishing Lucy said...

I just went to vote for me me me me me me, and was going to bare all and admit it to you. But it won't let me, as lovely husband voted for me last night from this computer! Arrrgggg! Can I now admit to maybe planning on popping to his office later to vote for myself on HIS computer? Oh the webs we weave....

And joy....my wrd verification was "criminit"

Madmother said...

Sitting here PMSL...

Kylez..aka...Mrs.P! said...

I too vote for myself if I have no votes or I really liked my entry. But if there is a really good entry I just have to vote for that one, whether I want to win or not. Only fair I guess. I'm pretty sure the challenge I won was because of my sister...she's always asking me if I've won a challenge yet, so she voted for me and made the people in her office vote too! So I suppose really it's not a real win, but I still felt good.

Jen said...

Ps, I didn't vote for me this time :p