“Give yourself an even greater challenge than the one you are trying to master..."

"...and you will develop the powers necessary to overcome the original difficulty.” ~ William Bennett

So, I'm entering my very first contest. I tend to shy away from anything competition-ish because I figure if I don't put myself out there, I won't be hurt or offended or shot down. I'm an incredibly positive, cheery, optimistic person in general, but when it comes to myself, I go in to things assuming the worst... and therefore I have nowhere to go but up!

But I'm changing my attitude. My confidence needs serious boosting, so what the heck. I need to push myself. A lot. In trying to remember a town where a particular photo was taken for a project I'm working on, I went on to the national trust's website for Fountains Abbey, and lo and behold, they're holding a photography contest. (Neat! Wish I had been recently.) For photos from the past 5 years. (NO WAY! I was last there in 2006. Yippee!) So, I'm doing it.

I have quite a few pretty photos that I'm sure are exact dupes of a million other peoples'. It's an awesome place. So, going against the grain, I'm going to submit two totally random images that I hope stand out a little.





They're not perfect, but I'm proud of them. And I can say I did it!

So wish me luck! The grand prize is a one week stay for two people in a National Trust Holiday Cottage in England. (My favorite place in the world!) Of course, can I afford the airfare? Nope. But, that's neither here nor there! Hee hee...