Small Successes that Make All the Difference

The other day, I was watching my daughter play basketball. Her team was losing—badly—but even though the score was so uneven everyone knew there was no way they could come back and win, the girls played hard anyway.

They made some beautiful plays, scored a few three point shots, and came away smiling because they knew they’d played a good game. Even though they hadn’t won, they’d succeeded in something much more fundamental, and were able to celebrate their accomplishments.  For them, it wasn’t just about winning.

It made me think of my career as a writer. My journey has been every bit as rough as one of my daughter’s games. I’ve had lots of ups and downs, and even managed to score a few three pointers. Sometimes I feel like I’m ahead, and others I know I’m way behind. This game has not gone the way I envisioned it when I started out.

But regardless of all that, I have always been happy to celebrate the small successes that have led to bigger, more meaningful ones.

I’m still working, moving forward, reaching and striving for goals. I’m not yet where I intend to someday be. But weeks like this? Yeah, they remind me that this journey is sure a beautiful ride.

Don’t forget to check out today’s blog tour stops and enter to win. 

One of the Herd: Post 2

So, Wednesday, I told you about my drive up a canyon and my thought process. (To catch up on that, scroll to the post just previous to this one.)  I was thinking about all of those things, still driving, and then, I saw this: (And I apologize in advance for the blurry pictures--they were taken in motion.)

Some beautiful deer, waiting to cross the road.

A few minutes later, I also saw this:

Other herd members, waiting for their friends to cross over.

I read somewhere that deer are symbolic for an impending or upcoming journey. And I would like to point out how many deer there are in this next picture.

The rest of the herd, braving the wild TOGETHER. 

A lot, right?

So I have developed a theory. I think that all those deer are a sign that I will not be taking any of these journeys alone. That, in fact, I will be joined by a number of talented people who will mean something in my life and/or career, or will at least join me in braving the wild.  

The truth is that I have no idea what is coming tomorrow. For me, or for my family or friends, or anyone else. But I do know this. Everywhere I look, big things are happening for those who are strong enough, resilient enough, tough enough to fight for them. The journey is calling, the road is open, and there is no limit to possibility.

The only question left to ask is who will be joining the herd? 

Preparing for Success

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this week about success, and how we reach that point where we feel successful.  (Also, there’s a difference between feeling successful and being successful, but that’s another post entirely.)

Say we have a goal in mind. And it’s a tough one that will require a lot of hard work and dedication. And sometimes your goal requires extra efforts that don’t really seem to have a purpose other than that it feels like something you should be doing.

So we do these things, probably wondering why we try so hard, and hoping that someday we’ll understand the purpose behind all our efforts. Hoping that someday, everything we’ve worked for will pay off. We do it to stretch ourselves farther, to widen our boundaries, to make our personal selves better.

And then…

Something comes up. Success falls on your head (with a little help from effort, obviously). And suddenly you see the purpose of all the other things you didn’t know would come back to you. Because, as James Owen once said in a keynote address, our choices are cumulative.

More and more lately, I’m seeing people gain the payoffs for their extra-hard work. And all that unnecessary stuff? Eventually it does become relevant. People remember. Training becomes useful. And even when the brass ring of success moves, you still find a way to reach it.

All you have to do is stretch yourself a little further. 

How are you stretching this week?

Do It Anyway

I've always been into positive thinking. You know, that whole believe in yourself and you can do anything...thing.

And I do believe it. I believe I can, and you can, and my kids can. We all have opportunities to succeed, to do big things, to become better people. We all have the opportunity to succeed, even if that success is preceded a thousand failures.

But we have to take those opportunities, and we have to be willing to fail. We have to try out before we can be cut from or make a team, and audition before we can get the part, and we have to apply for a job before we are hired.

We have to be okay with learning how to pick ourselves up out of a hole of destruction and rebuild our lives. Or our self confidence. Or whatever. You know what I mean.

I am willing. Always. Because this is the way dreams are discovered.




What are you willing to do for your dreams?

Every So Often

We all have dreams. But every so often, we have to take a minute to stop and wonder if those dreams are meant for us, or us for them, or whatever.

Every so often, our dreams take over our lives, and then we wonder what we were thinking when we started dreaming like that anyway.

Every so often, we decide to take a break, turn a corner, or do something differently than we planned.

And every so often, thinking outside the box helps us make more progress than anything else we’ve tried, renewing our sense of creativity, our sense of adventure, our ability to dream big.

Every so often, we are given a lesson in succeeding, rather than one in failing.

Every so often, we win.

And then it all becomes worth it.

When’s the last time you won?

What Would You Give Up?

Last week I had some stress. I’m not going to go into details, but let’s just say that someone I trusted—someone I loved—chose to sacrifice their relationship with me in order to (they hoped) get ahead in a business venture. Unfortunately for them, and me as well, the sacrifice probably won’t get them very far. If anywhere.

But the relationship will never be the same, if it is ever mended.

The whole situation has made me pause and think. I know that desperate people often do desperate things, but when it comes right down to it, what would I be willing to sacrifice in order to succeed?

The truth is I’m not sure what I would sacrifice. It would totally depend on the situation. However, I know for sure a few things I would NEVER sacrifice.

1. People. No matter what happens, how badly I want something, how desperate I am to get it, people will always be more important than things, than money, than my personal success. Always.

2. Friendship. Because it’s more important than any career will ever be.

3. Personal beliefs. Everyone has lines they refuse to cross. I have mine too. They’re probably different than those belonging to other people, and that’s okay. That’s what makes us unique.

4. Things that are important to my immediate family. For instance, last spring I skipped out of a semi-formal awards dinner (which was part of a big local writer’s conference) to go home and help get my daughter ready for prom. It’s about priorities.

5. My sense of self. If becoming a well-known national author means I have to look, act, or pretend to be someone other than who I really am, I’m out. As it happens, I like me. And other than firming up, trimming down, and smoothing out a few troublesome areas, I have no plans to change who I am or what I stand for.

What about you? What would you NEVER sacrifice?

Things I don’t know

I’m a writer. An author. And not only do I openly admit it, but I talk about my writing and my hopes and dreams quite a lot. And in very public forums. (Like blogging.) Because I’ve been into this for a while, people have a tendency to ask me things. Sometimes, I have answers, but more often than not, I don’t. Not yet, anyway.

There are a lot of things I don’t know.

1. How do you get an agent?
(Um, I can tell you how I’m trying, but since I have yet to be successful in this never-ending endeavor, I might not be the best person to ask.)

2. When is your next book coming out?
(Hm. I’d love to say 2013, but since I’m not feeling the self-publishing vibe, I have no idea.)

3. How does a midlist book make the bestseller lists?
(My guess: good writing, strong word of mouth, and some brilliant marketing from the author. But I’ve never been there, so…I couldn’t really tell you for sure.)

4. How can I make a living as a writer?
(Uh, I’ll have to get back to you on that. As soon as I find the secret, I’ll be happy to share it, because I’m nice like that.)

5. How long are you planning to keep writing / submitting?
(Indefinitely. Because I’ve tried to quit. A few times. Recently, even. Never works for long, so I guess I’ll write forever.)

6. Who is your favorite author?
(Answering this question would be like diving into the ocean and trying to pinpoint a favorite starfish. But I have a particular love for young adult authors these days, so I guess I could start there.)

7. Where did you learn how to write?
(Everywhere. Practice. Lots and lots of practice, and classes, and critique groups, and conferences. But again, see the above questions. It’s entirely possible that I don’t know how to write—maybe that’s why I don’t have an agent and/or book deal and am not making a living as a writer.)

But even with all the stuff I don’t know, there are a few things I do know.

1. I will never get to where I want to be if I don’t try.

2. Trying sometimes = failing a whole lot of times.


3. Winner/ loser/ reject: there are people in my life who will always be there, and they will love me anyway.

4. People will always be more important than money or deals or success.

5. I am the only person who can decide how I act, how I treat others, and how much I value the relationships in my life.

6. I have written a number of full-length novels. Someday they will be read by people who need to read them. It’s okay if that someday is far away.

7. Even though I am not necessarily where I want to be in my writing career, I am already successful. I have done things most people will never even attempt. I have met people and formed relationships, and experienced things I didn’t even dream when I was young. And I am teaching my kids the value of the phrase never give up.

8. Someday, I WILL have the answers to the questions on my don’t list.

Sometimes what we know and what we don’t is a matter of perspective.

The Problem with Pedestals.

Is that they aren’t made for people.

And people—no matter who they are or what they do—should never try to stand on a pedestal. Nor should we force others to stand one.

Because anyone who does will inevitably go splat at some point in time.

I’ve met a lot of people in my life. Important people. Famous people. Knowledgeable people. Brilliant people. Humble people. Beginners. Finishers. The strong. The weak. The selfish. The determined. The impatient. Saintly people. Serving people. Rich, poor, and middle-class people. But I have yet to meet a single person who is not absolutely human, who is not on a journey of some sort, and who is not searching for enrichment, fulfillment, and/or happiness.

Humans make mistakes, progress, and choices.

I admit some of us manage to rise above adversity and find success better or quicker or differently than others. But those who try to stand on pedestals—or who are put there by others—always, always have a lot further to go when they fall.

I know I’m not perfect. A long way from it. No one else is either. But if we can manage to eliminate those darned pedestals, maybe the important people in our lives won’t have to fall so hard. Nor will we have to hurt so badly when we trip.

Personally, I don’t want to stand on a pedestal. But if you absolutely insist, you’re welcome to seat me on a throne. I’ll never complain about that!

What if?

As seems to be my pattern lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about success and how to be successful in my career as a writer. I know I’m not the only person I know who is going through a strange and unsettling lull in life. You know that lull. Where you try and try and try and fight and fight and fight to cross a line or jump a hurdle or take another step and no matter what you do, you feel like you just. Can’t. Get. There.


But what if.


What if success isn’t a place.


What if success, like happiness, is a state of mind?


What if.


I’ve already made it to that place without even noticing?


What if?

Things We Should Decide For Ourselves

Most of you know I write my blogs on the weekends and schedule them to post. But this past weekend I opened numerous documents, intending to get them all done, and even though I’ve had lots of great bloggish thoughts this month, my mind blanked every time. I think there’s just too much information in there struggling to come out. You know how it goes.

So I decided to share little tidbits of everything going on in my head, in hopes that once I get them all out, I can do something else productive without being distracted. That said, my current thoughts are all over the map, so for this post, I’m making a list of things we have to decide for ourselves, regardless of who tells us differently or otherwise.

Only we can decide:

1.       How success looks to us.

2.       What we have to do in order to find that success.

3.       Whether we should continue to try (or give up), and why.

4.        What is best for us in our current circumstances.

5.       What our gut tells us to do, and whether or not we should act on that feeling.

6.       What we want most.

7.       Who we love and why, and what we do with those feelings.

8.       How we react to things that hurt us or make us angry or sad.

9.       How we react to things that make us happy and/or successful, or other fortune that comes our way.

10.   Who and what matters most to us, and why, and what we will do about it.

11.   What REALLY = success.

12.   What defines us as individuals.

13.   What’s worth fighting for and what isn’t.

14.   When to hold on.

15.   When to let go.

I told you my brain is full. What about you? What needs to be added to this list?

Sometimes Creativity is About Faith

In yourself.

In your work.

In the family and other loved ones who support you and try to understand but don’t always succeed.

In allowing the house to be messy, and letting the kids eat cereal for dinner.

In your creative friends. And your not-so-creative ones.

In the market.

In readers who always want something new to read.

In your original ideas—there will be a place for them.

In publishers who are brave enough to take a chance on something different. Or something similar. Or something else.

In agents who might be in a terrible mood when they read your submission, but decide they like it anyway. Or not.

In a higher power who has plans for you, even though you can’t see the blueprint.

In your ability to continue producing.

In your need to take breaks.

That what your gut tells you is the right thing to do, even if no one else—even the person you trust most—agrees.

Faith that you will be successful. Eventually.

And until then, faith in the power of chocolate covered marshmallows, Cadbury mini-eggs, black licorice candies, Black Forest gummy bears and Dr. Pepper. When creativity fails, these things will certainly see you through.

Dauntless

You know what I’ve discovered in all my thoughts about success and failure? Both require a large amount of bravery. Serious bravery. Because in order to succeed, you have to be willing to also fail. In order to fail, you have to be trying to succeed. (Unless you get into something deliberately planning to fail, but seriously, who does that?)

Whichever way you look at it, the only difference between the two is the end result and how we react to it.

Every success story is told with an interesting sequence of failure-type events which drove the story forward. They’re probably the most thought provoking, interesting stories you’ll ever hear, because they tell about how one person set out to succeed and FAILED, then failed again, and then a few more times, before finally reaching a level of success. And then they probably failed a few more times before making it to the top. If they ever made it to the top. Maybe they made it to a completely different location and decided that was where they should have been going all along. You never know. The point is they made it somewhere great. Somewhere AMAZING.

That’s how success goes. It’s how every game is won. It’s how every plot is driven. It’s what keeps us pushing on and shooting forward with a mad desire to get to the other side.

I am not afraid to fail. (Say it with me.) I AM NOT AFRAID TO FAIL.

But I’ll tell you what I am afraid of. I am terrified of never reaching my arms out and trying to pull myself higher. Because that is when I’ll realize how many times I’ve fallen down. No one wants to have to face that.

I am not afraid. I am NOT AFRAID. I AM NOT AFRAID! I. Am. Dauntless.

The question is, are you?

Why?

When it comes to being told no, writers are probably the most steadfast, forge ahead, move-on-type people I know. If I didn’t know better (and believe me, I KNOW BETTER) I’d think we actually thrive on rejections of one type or another (consider: agent/publisher rejection, difficult critique comments, negative reviews, etc.). And yet, we write anyway. We submit anyway. And we get feedback anyway.

Why. Why do we try so hard? Why do we keep writing, submitting, critiquing, blogging, and social networking to the point of giving up other important things in our lives—like sleep?

For me, I think it’s because even when I’m miserably disappointed, deep down I remember how happy I am when I get into a rhythm and actually unfurl my creative wings. That happiness is why I write. It’s often why I smile. Sometimes, it’s even why I breathe. And I believe, truly believe, that if I keep working, keep believing, don’t give up, that eventually I will jump the hurdles currently holding me back and finally face the next hurdle.

But what’s true for me might not be true for the rest of you. So tell me. Why do you keep trying?

The Other Side of the Failure Forest

Remember this post when we talked about how success changes people? I’m still thinking about that, and it occurs to me that there’s another side of this coin. Not everyone succeeds. Some people change their goals completely, go in different directions, or flat out fail altogether.

Let’s face it. Just because we want something doesn’t mean we’re supposed to get it. Just because we hope doesn’t make our desired outcome best for us. And just because we fight doesn’t mean we’re going to win, or even that we should.

When this happens, when we adjust our thought processes, daily habits, and goals in order to reorganize the paths our lives are taking, how much does this change us?

I mean, yes, obviously we should (theoretically) be stronger for the lessons we’ve learned along the way. But after we discover that maybe we’re not cut out for that thing for which we’ve been reaching, or maybe that we’ve been reaching in the wrong direction—do you think that changes us too?

We all have a different purpose in life, different talents, different needs and desires and abilities, so it makes total sense that we’d have individual paths to success. And along the way we ALL experience failure of some sort or another.

The question is how will we deal with it?

Will we let our disappointment swallow us whole? Will we let hurt bury us? Will we allow heartache to still our hands and minds and creative process until we work no more?

OR.

Will we rise above it, set a new path, pick ourselves up, and start again?

Once again, I think it comes down to choices. We get to choose how we react to these circumstances. We get to choose what we do next. We get to choose which road to take at the next fork.

Me? I have decided that just because I only see two roads doesn’t mean I can’t forge my own path. And that, my friends, is EXACTLY what I intend to do.

See you on the other side of the forest.

Life After Success

Last week my friend Carolyn asked if her blog readers believe people change once they have succeeded in achieving important goals. This is not a new question for me, but for some reason, Carolyn’s has stuck with me all week. It’s on my mind, apparently.

I told her (and her readers) that I think to some degree, everyone changes. When you set a goal and reach that goal, it's inevitable that something inside you grows and becomes more than it was as you were looking to achieve it.


However, it is up to the individual person to decide what they do with that change. Will you let it go to your head? Will you treat people differently? Will you allow all your time to be swallowed by new things? Will you make or find time for the people or projects that matter to you, even if you can't see a benefit?


Some of us will be fundamentally different once we find that success for which we've so long reached.


But some of us, even in changed circumstances, will remain fundamentally the same. We may be busier. We may have more things on which to focus. We may even have to reevaluate where our priorities lie. But we will still be that person who once struggled to reach a goal. And we will strive to NEVER forget how we got there or how difficult that journey was.


I pray every day that when I find my success, it will change me only for the better, and that I will never, ever be tempted to forget those people who have been so important to me.

(Yep, that’s pretty much my blog comment, word for word.)

What about you? Have your current successes changed you at all? In which ways? And do you think future successes will continue to change you on a core level?

Everything I've Got

Guess what I’m doing tomorrow? I’m running (or maybe speed-walking) my first ever 5k. It’s called Coopers Run, which is a great cause, so of course I’m looking forward to it. Well, mostly.

First problem: I am not a runner. Never been a runner. Therefore, I will very probably be somewhat slow.

Granted, I spend a lot of time at the gym. Always have. And I have been running lately, which is why I was okay with this. But the truth is, running is not my favorite form of exercise. (And yes, believe it or not, I DO like to work out.)

Second problem: I will be running this 5k with a whole lot of police officers (and some wives) who happen to be my husband’s peers, and who are required to pass a twice-yearly physical fitness test which involves running. Some of these guys run marathons for fun on their days off. I am not joking.

Also, my two very athletic daughters, who will undoubtedly leave me in the dust from the beginning.

But again, I’m okay with this. Even if I get left behind and am the absolute last person to cross the finish line (which, FYI, I severely doubt. I’m in decent enough shape that I could walk it in a decent time), I will still be glad I did it. Because once I finish, I will do so knowing that I gave it my all.

That’s really the crux of everything, isn’t it? It doesn’t necessarily matter who gets there first, or who comes in last, or which of us stagger through somewhere in between, so much as it matters that we dedicate ourselves to a higher purpose and give it everything we’ve got.

It’s really the only way to be successful in this world.

Wish me luck!

Sometimes You Have to Get Wet

A couple weeks ago we took our daughters and a bunch of their friends boating. Just as we got to the lake and paid to park my car (took 2 because we had so many kids with us), the sky opened up and it rained on us. Because we were at a reservoir surrounded by mountains, we didn’t have the advantage of being able to see very far in any direction, so there was no way to know if this was going to be a long storm, or if it would pass quickly.

At this point, we had a few choices. We could a) turn around and go home or b) huddle in the car and wait or c) take the travel covers off the boat and prepare to launch, hoping the storm would pass.

We chose to prepare for launch and hope for the best.

David Wolverton (aka Farland) once told me a story of a time when the publishing industry struggled to hold on. After several very lean, dry years, many authors gave up their craft and found other jobs. During that time, some authors stopped writing altogether, while others kept writing, but nothing of much value, believing that the opportunity to publish books had passed. One particular author never quit. Indeed, he kept writing as vigorously as he always had.

Many years passed. Guess what happened? The publishing industry pulled out of the funk it had been in, and agents and publishers looked hungrily for publishable works. While everyone else scrambled to get back into the writing game, the author who never quit now had something like 20 manuscripts polished and ready for submission.

Guess who had the best success rate?

At the lake that day, we ran through the rain, pulled the covers off the boat and loaded our gear. Wouldn’t you know it, ten minutes later, the rain let up and the sunshine came out to push the clouds away. We spent four or five hours as one of maybe 3 boats out there, and had some very happy kids.

Storms and famines will come. And it may take some time, but eventually they always pass. So today I ask a rhetorical question. Will you be the one packing up and leaving before you ever really started? Or will you get wet uncovering the boat while you wait?

Yeah, that’s what I thought. Better get to work then!

Who Do You Know?

Have you ever thought about your favorite actor or recording artist or author and wondered what special person in their life had the “right connections” to help that particular person succeed? Because, as we’ve all been told a bazillion times before, it’s all about who you know, right?

I used to hate that statement, because it made me think that since I didn’t have a rich relative or famous friend, I couldn’t possibly reach success levels that others had. Also, it inferred (in my mind) that the successful person was only successful because of who they knew, rather than because of their own talent or skills.

Maybe for some people that’s accurate. But not for the majority.

When I started writing, I didn’t know a single soul who actually wrote books for a living. In fact, I didn’t know anyone who wrote anything for money. I didn’t even know anyone who wrote as a hobby (to my knowledge). And I had NO idea how to get started. All I knew was that I wanted to write a book. Just one. And it didn’t have to be published, because I wasn’t going to tell anyone—not even my husband.

We all know how big that snowball got. And it’s still rolling. Several years later, after numerous conferences and classes, I have lots of author friends. I’m acquainted with publishers and editors. The list of people I “know” in the industry is long.

But has knowing them made me successful?

If by successful you mean a NYT bestseller, making big money on royalties, and waiting for word on a movie deal that will smash all previous book-to-movie conversion records, than the answer is no. Not yet.

But if by successful you mean have I grown as a writer or author? Have I honed my craft, put time and efforts into learning all I can? Have I gained knowledge from having my work critiqued and in turn critiquing for others? Do I have support from the writing community? If you are asking any of these questions, then the answer is absolutely a resounding YES!

Has knowing the right people helped me get a contract faster? Depends on how you look at it. I have not yet signed with an agent, and I do not yet have a national book deal. But I do have two books published in smaller houses, and I’ve grown in leaps and bounds since I started.

So. What are my odds of success? No idea. But I will tell you, they’re a whole lot better today than they were six or seven years ago. And yes, it is because of who I know.

Go figure.

Personal Rainbows

We all know where rainbows come from, don’t we? Water + sun=…well, yeah. Usually, you have to wait through a whole lot of rain to see a rainbow. Every once in a while you’ll see a small, light-colored rainbow after a little storm, but usually you only find the brightest rainbows after the hardest storms.

Let’s consider the small successes the lighter rainbows. They still make you pause and take in the quiet beauty, still give you joy and make you smile. They’re there to shore you up and help you keep on the right path until you’re able to reach that bigger, brighter rainbow. You know the one—it has a treasure at the end of it. We all want that rainbow. And we know that in order to find it, we have to endure a pounding, torrential storm.

But when the storm actually hits, we tend to forget all about the rainbow, and instead focus on the rain. We run, we hide, we seek shelter. We do everything we can to avoid being drowned. Some people do drown. And some people run so far and so fast, that they never even see the small rainbows, because they’re too busy running from the rain. But those of us who are willing to stick it out, to huddle together and wait out the storm—we’re the ones who will find that giant rainbow someday.

And then there are the go-getters who aren’t willing to wait for the storm to come to us. Instead, we know exactly where to find our rainbow, and we go after it. Climb a mountain, swim through a lake, wade through a stream and under a waterfall where we again, almost drown. But if we can make it through, we’re guaranteed to see the most spectacular rainbow ever.

Whether we wait for the ginormous storm, or go to the effort to find a waterfall—the end result gives us the same amount of joy. And hopefully, a wealth of treasure, too.

Here’s hoping we all have the endurance needed to make it to our personal rainbows!

Quitter, Quitter, Quitter

Some days, I wonder why I ever decided to become a writer. What was I thinking? Oh wait, I know. I thought it would be easier. And probably that it would happen more quickly. And that my life would change dramatically.

Well, at least I was pretty close on that last one. My life has changed. Not in ways I ever expected, and most definitely not like I pictured, but it has definitely changed. And for the better even. So. That’s good.

But easy? Huh. Not on your life. Or in my life. Or anyone else’s either. It’s more like giving blood for a living. You go into the office, hold out your arm and tell the nurse, “Okay, hook me up.” (Ahem. The first time I gave blood—passed out cold for several minutes afterward. Have not given real blood since.)

And quick? Right. Since when has anything really, truly good happened fast? Patience is the story of my life. But I often find myself wondering if I should just give it up and go work at the gas station down the street. At least I’d have a ready supply of Dr. Pepper handy. (And chocolate. Black licorice. Gum. Yeah.)

Why do I bother? Why do I try so, so, so hard? Why do I torture myself, day after day after day?

Because I don’t know anything else. I don’t know how to quit this thing.

Because when it comes right down to it, I’m a writer through and through. And from the moment I first realized that, I’ve known deep, deep down in my innermost self that this is it for me. It’s who I am. And you can’t just stop being who you are. So. You keep going, because there’s no such thing as quitting when it comes to being who you are.

So I guess I’ll keep going. Even when it’s hard. And I’ll keep bleeding even when I want to pass out from the pressure (or lack of it). And I’ll keep writing, even when I think I suck.

When was the last time you felt like quitting? Did you try? What made you change your mind?

**Check out my review of Chocolate Roses by Joan Sowards and enter to win today!**