What a Champ!
Spelling… I’ve always been fairly good at spelling even though my grammar can use some work. 
But like many people I don’t give much credit to the children who compete in spelling bees at school. I always thought “There’s got to be a better way to get recognized for excellence!”
But if you’re an excellent speller, isn’t that the best way to get recognized?
Last night Katharine Close, a 13-year-old girl from New Jersey won the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She even did it on prime time television. Katharine had tried four other times to win this championship according to the article on USA Today’s website.
So what makes someone keep trying to win a title after failing four other times? What makes someone keep trying to win a title in an area that many people ridicule or scorn?
Lest you think I’m picking on spellers and academic competitions (which some people consider boring), I’ll even drop in competitions like auto racing (dangerous) and jelly making (tasty!).
Yet I know people who spend hours participating in, watching and judging these events. I know people who year after year compete for recognition and a title that seems to keep eluding them. I do this myself by participating in Toastmasters speech contests.
So why do people keep working on skills that not everyone sees as valuable?
I think it comes down to impressing yourself with what you do well. Hiding talent and skill is not something to be proud of. Developing yourself and putting your talents to the test against people with impressive talents and skills forces us to work harder on improving our skills. It keeps us sharp.
So what’s the best way to be recognized as a champ? I think it’s to do your best in the areas that you do well. Don’t spend excess time and energy focused on a seemingly high profile area with more competition and more talented people. Focus on the areas that you excel in and have fun in. Whether winning the national spelling bee, American Idol or the county fair’s pie contest the stage is yours.
Congratulations for the hard work and dedication it took for you to achieve your goal! And if you didn’t win this year? Well, keep developing your skills and try again next year!
