GRATITUDE IS ALWAYS WELCOME
I recently had an experience that reminded me that this title is always true. You see, I’d paid to enter my book, “Miracle on Hammertown Road” in a well-run contest with many categories called “2018 Readers Favorite Book Awards.” I was excited to be part of the contest and thought I might have a shot of getting, at least, honorable mention, based on three five-star book reviews I’d already received from the same website.
The book awards’ winners were released on a Saturday in September. That afternoon, I got out my phone and scrolled through the list and kept scrolling until I got to the bottom of the list. My book didn’t place at all.
My first response was disappointment and I said out loud, “That really stinks”. My next thought was, “Well, I tried and that’s what counts”. Then I thought, “Jim, why don’t you send them an email and thank them for offering hope to authors by having this book award available”.
I got on my computer right away, looked up their generic email and proceeded to write them a very brief email saying my book was entered in their contest and it didn’t place at all, but I thanked them, anyway, for having the book awards for authors. I signed it and hit ‘Send’.
Now, I wasn’t sure I would get a response, at all, especially on a Saturday. But it did make me feel better, as a person, to have sent the email. About 25 minutes later, I look at my phone and I notice I have an email from Readers Favorites, from a gentleman named Jim, who wrote that my email was very welcoming for them to receive. He said I was quite the extraordinary individual, to thank them the way I did, especially on that day because they’d been receiving nothing but complaints from authors who didn’t place in the book awards.
The email finished with Jim saying that they wanted to repay me for such a kind email by offering me five free book reviews, or to be entered in next year’s book rewards in four categories. I responded, thanking them for being so kind. I mentioned that I hadn’t written my note to receive something in return, but I appreciated their offer and would think about which option to take.
It was a great reminder about the power of giving gratitude out to the universe! It always comes back in some good form or another. And the cool thing about it is that the initial act of giving gratitude makes you happy, so it’s a win/win for being grateful!!!