Not everyone may celebrate the Christmas and New Year's Holidays although it was my sincere wish for all of you to gain insight, some inspiration and whole lot of Holiday Acceptance through this contest and all of the entries. As the New Year of 2009 approaches we will bring prosperity and happiness to others and ourselves because WE create our joy and happiness.
Acceptance. Understanding acceptance starts with awareness, identifying the need through our gut feeling that it's time to move on from a situation or circumstance that is negative or uncomfortable. Often times it becomes "The Art of Letting Go" from things we have no control over.
For just that moment in time you graced us with such transparency in your writing and shared your stories of acceptance with us. You achieved that state of mind of Acceptance and you are truly admired. Thank you so much for giving back to our community and I guaranty we are all taking many learning lessons with us.
The judges really worked hard and took their time to read all the entries, evaluate them and shed a few tears along the way while going through the judging process and they all agree that EVERYONE was a winner!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Notes from the Judges.....
Kathy McGraw from Banning, California said, "I want to personally thank Sally, Ann, Tami, and Kristin(in no particular order) for Setting up and/or Judging one of the hardest contests I've been involved with to date. Not only because of the excellent entries, but also because of the AR Problems that kept messing up with the entries. I also want to thank everyone that entered and shared their stories with 
us......as Ann said in our book everyone is a Winner :) Happy Holidays to everyone.
Ann Cummings from Portsmouth, New Hampshire said, "I have to say that of all the contests I've judged, and it's been a few over the time I've been involved at AR, this one was by far the toughest one to judge. There are so many heartwarming stories, such personal stories, and more than a few tears shed as I read so many of these. I would like to have been able to pick more and to have them all be number 1. This was very difficult to choose winners from and I feel so honored to read such touching and personal stories. My deep thanks to all who entered and shared what they did in their posts for this contest"......Ann I Am SO VERY Thankful........
Kristin Moran from San Antonio, Texas said, "The entries for the PAWS Holiday contest was extremely hard. I was laughing, crying and smiling all at different times. All the posts were very touching and I enjoyed reading them, relating to them and learning about other ActiveRainerʼs. Thanks for letting me be a part of this contest.
Tami Vroma from Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan said, "This contest was hard to judge but I have learned so much. "It is amazing to me how much alike so many of us are!" I was honored to be part of the contest and the judging".
MY NOTE:
Kathy McGraw wrote Monday Morning Gifts: What do Seagulls and Eagles have to do with you? The light bulb went off for our annual Holiday Contest for the Positive Attitude for the Weary Soul Group. She stated, "So many times we aren't satisfied with who we are or what we have. We want more, or better. I guess it's not all our fault, we are taught to want more, but when is it enough? Accepting who we are and what we have are the first steps to understanding. And understanding brings acceptance." Thanks for the inspiration your hard work to support MANY of the contests we've had. Sally
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is with great pleasure that I am announcing the Judges choices for the winners:
- FIRST PLACE - 3,000 points! Holiday Acceptance--365 Days a Year by Debe Maxwell
- SECOND PLACE- 1,500 points! Holiday Acceptance - Finding Strength Through Connections by Nannette Saunders
- THIRD PLACE -1,000 points! Holiday Acceptance - A Gift You Give Yourself by Elizabeth Nieves
Honorable Mentions - 500 points!
- Holiday Acceptance of Self ........... HO, HO, HO by George Souto ,
- Holiday Acceptance - Some Gifts I Give Myself And Pass On To You by Paddy Pizappi,
- The missing gift of holiday acceptance, or so I thought at the time. By Richard Weisser,
- You can't read a book by its cover..."Holiday Acceptance" by Debrah Brooks,
- Holiday Acceptance: A light from within by Elizabeth Ramsey-Cooper -Golden
The remaining entries receive 200 points:
- holiday acceptance: What do you find unacceptable----my Holiday Acceptance. Charles Buell
- holiday acceptance: The Gift Of Holiday Acceptance...Christmas 2008...!!! -Fran Gaspari
- holiday acceptance: Old Fashion Values Helps To Bring Me To Holiday Acceptance! - Elaine VonCannon
- Holiday Acceptance... And Beyond Joslyn Panka
- The Holiday Acceptance Dinah Lee Griffey
- Holiday Acceptance - It's time to serve again! Michelle Bowman
- HOLIDAY ACCEPTANCE- ITS THE STUFF WE ARE MADE OF AND A LIFE LIVED Martha Brown
- Holiday Acceptance- Sadness and joy for the season. Ellie McIntire
- Holiday Acceptance Is Found in Waving Hands and Frost-bitten Smiles
Jo-Anne Smith - Holiday Acceptance not just for Christmas anymore! Cheryl Willis
- The Gift Holiday Acceptance - "That Boy" Cristal Drake
- Holiday Acceptance: Face the Fear. Don't Fear to Fail Rebecca Levinson
- Holiday Acceptance Russ Ravary
- Holiday- Acceptance ~ a Life of a Daisy! Charlene Hammontree
- Holiday Acceptance: Love is all you need Susan Neal
- *Holiday Acceptance* - Positive Attitude Jennifer Lee
- Holiday Acceptance Jean Groesbeck
- A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - Holiday Acceptance Gail Gladstone
- Holiday Acceptance - Silencing my inner Grinch Anita Crum
- Sally Cheeseman's Contest: Holiday Acceptance Barbara-Jo & Bill
- Holiday Acceptance- Thinking Globally! Midori Miller
- The Gift of Holiday Acceptance-Purrfect Love Terry Osburn
- HOLIDAY ACCEPTANCE--I USED TO SAY "BAH HUM BUG" BUT NOT THIS YEAR! Diane Bell
- Questions, Answers and Holiday Acceptance Margaret Woda
- The Incredible Momentum of Holiday Acceptance janeAnne
- Dreams of Gifts of Holiday Acceptance and Joy really do come true! Linda Bourgault
- Holiday Acceptance - Christmas Time Past and Present Christine O'Shea
- Holiday Acceptance--- All Year Through Carole Provenzale
- Holiday Acceptance - the Gift of an Ordinary Life... Inna Hardison
- "http://activerain.com/blogsview/831929/Take-ACCEPTANCE-For-Improvement-of-Our-ConditionDONATE-YOURSELF-THIS-HOLIDAY" Ann-Marie Clements
- Holiday Acceptance: Two Teenagers Gather A Thousand Christmas Gifts Chuck Willman
- A "Holiday Acceptance" Story - I find homes for people AND animals! Toula Rosebrock
- The Joy and Gift of Holiday Acceptance (all year long) Tom Plant
- The Gift Of Holiday Acceptance: I WANT What I HAVE Leander McClain
- HOLIDAY ACCEPTANCE - TRADITION DISCONTINUED Rosalinda Morgan
- Holiday Acceptance -- We are all In This Together! Joan Whitebook
- Holiday Acceptance~Joy in the Journey Ginger Sala
- Holiday Acceptance: As I get prepared for the holidays this new ornament has special meaning to me. William Johnson
- Holiday Acceptance - Remembering My Mother's Teaching Rebecca Gaujot
- Acceptance 2008... Another Lesson from Grandma Michele Connors
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The POSITIVE ATTITUDE for the Weary Soul was founded on June 18, 2007 with the sole intent to have a place for weary souls when they needed a bit of positive reinforcement to look at their cup half full ...instead of half empty. A place to support one another in our endeavors, dreams and each other.
We continue...to be a driving force in the ActiveRain Community.
Prosperity and Happiness to All in 2009!
WooHooo!!!!!
Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate® and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocations, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents, Home Buyers and Sellers.
© 2007-2012 Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman's Hawaii Real Estate and Relocation Blog.
All rights reserved.
Sally- This was a good Contest....I am still amazed at the entries we received. I really can't say I'm not glad it's over, and as with your Contest last year hopefully this one also inspired some people. That is what your Group is so good at, inspiring and motivating. Thank you, and everyone that participated.
Congratulations to everyone that won :) :)
I knew you were still up lol!
Well - Congratulations to All! I read most of them a couple of nights ago - fabulous participation, I sat down to write one a couple of times and got frustrated with computer/a/r problems so let it go.........but this contributions were amazing!
Kathy: You have been there through thick and thin with our group and I thank you for all your hard work. There always has to be a sidekick as I do not judge...ever. In any event...your inspiration got me going ....there just HAS to be a contest with loads of content for inspiration to take into the next year :)
Sally - You all are very inspiring. It is a wonderful read when someone speaks from the heart - you and your contests really bring out the best. Now I have to read all of them.
I can tell you it wasn't about the points, or the contest, but the fact that you helped me heal a little on my journey. For that I am thankful! This group is awesome! Blessings!
This really was one of the most amazing contests to have been part of - simply fabulous entries, every one of them a winner. For those who haven't read them all, I encourage you to take some time and read them. There are some very personal stories in these entries, so be prepared to shed some tears, get some laughs, and gain some awesome appreciation of who all these members are and what they bring to all of us by having shared their stories here.
Thank you, Sally and Kathy, for having asked me to be part of this contest!
Ann
Sally, I considered entering this contest but just got way to busy for such an incredible challenge. I did manage to read some of the entries and was blown away by the honesty and insight and the power of the writing and everything expressed. I plan to read each and every one over the holidays. Thanks again for sponsoring this incredible contest;it's amazing the absolute quality of many of the new friend s I've made here at Active rain and I am honored to among such wonderful people! Keep up the good work, you bring out the best in all of us!
Only 8 comments? Come on people. Looks like you had an awesome contest Sally. Thats' a top 40 list of entrees you got there :)
Congratulations to the winners, honorable mentions and generally anyone who took the time to enter. Perhaps we'll enter the next one now that we know about it!
Sally,
Keep up the good work associate and thanks for continuing to contribute to AR at such a high level. Many of us look up to you for guidance.
Sincerely, Active Castellum (castellum realty llc - lancaster pa real estate)
Nice list of winners who are probably in need of points:) Happy Holidays!
I can't even imagine how difficult this must have been to judge. I read many of the entries and they are all wonderful! Thank you Sally and the Judges for a wonderful contest and I have to go back and read the ones I missed.
Sally and all...
Thanks so much for the honorable mention. I think what made this contest different for me was the 500 word requirement. That really made this more of a short-story event!
I don't know how you guys were able to choose, there were SO MANY great posts! Excellent contest, I enjoyed participating.
This had to be a huge job---I read some but not all of the entries and they were totally awesome. Thanks for hosting this contest. It brought about some good thoughts for all of us this holiday season.
I missed so many of these! I'm looking forward to reading those I missed. Thanks to all of the judges!
Thanks for organizing this wonderful contest. I hadn't planned on entering but writing and posting that story somehow became a necessary part of my being able to move forward. I am humbled by what my peers have written. Very moving stories. Kudos to everyone!
Hi Sally:
Thanks for organizing the contest. I had an opportunity to share one of my rescue stories here and got a lot of wonderful feedback.
Thank you all for you warm responses...I very much appreciated them!
Celeste,
PAFTWS was one of the first groups I found on AR that clued me into the social aspect of social networking.
And for all the lessons from there, thank you!
Hi Sally! - You did a great job setting up and overseeing the contest, I was glad to be a part of it. The entries were all so good it was hard to come to a consensus but I am glad you did what you said you would and posted the winners on time! Nice to hear you on Rain Radio! KM
Hi Sally! WOW! I am completely shocked--I thought that my story was SO long that it would get canned! HA! Seriously, I am honored and humbled that Ray's story won your contest. I have to say that you certainly ran a Sally-style contest! How very organized you are! You wrote a beautiful introduction to the contest, kept us informed and reminded us all along the way. I have learned so much from you, Sally, and appreciate everything that you do here in the Rain. BTW--It was good to hear your voice on the radio yesterday too!
To the judges--I KNOW that you had a difficult decision with all of the wonderful entries--and I didn't even get to all of them! I appreciate your kind words and encouragement also. Thank you for the time that you invested in this contest--we appreciate you more than words can say.
Again, thank you all and Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Hi Sally,
Looks like another successful event, you and the judges had your work cut out for you. Congrats to all the winners! :)
Woo Hoo, You and the whole cast of participants ,judges ,et all, did a wonderful job in spreading the Holiday spirit throughout the Rain. I was delighted to have participated and congratulate not just the winners but all who participated. Debe's story was a perfect choice to represent not only the best in writing but her story is one that should be celebrated. Totally amazing and moving and above all else, inspiring. I still have a large number of the posts to read but wanted to congratulate all the winners, honorable mentions and everyone else as well. You should be very proud of what was brought forth with your encouragement and steadfast Positive Attitudes. Well done!
Sally~
Thanks for this amazing gift to all of us. Now I am going to read EVERY SINGLE POST!!! Many blessings to ALL...and to all a good night...
Sally a big thanks to you and the judges for all that you do to encourage us to write and share. I am thrilled with my 200 pts and the chance to open up a little in print. be good , looking forward to your next challenge. be good cheryl
Wow this is really a great contest and I can't wait to read all the entries! Thanks to everyone who helped and wrote these great posts.
Thank you Sally, for all you do!
Sally,
Thanks to you, the great judges, and the entire PAWS family for providing such a great mechanism to get to know each other better and to truly appreciate the magnificent family of people we have here n Active Rain!
Further, now I can take my time and enjoy all the wonderful entries in the contest!!!
Merry Christmas!!! Thanks, Fran
A great big congratulations to the winners and all participants. I've bookmarked to go back and read when I need a pick me up. Thanks everyone - Happy Holidays
Thank you all for stopping in to congratulate all the winners (that's EVERYONE!) and supporting them by reading their entries.
It'll give you some positive spirit to take into 2009...Guaranty!
Work today...on the phone with client for an hour....leaving for office...will check in a little later..... THANKS again!
Congratulations to the winners. Some wonderful reading in these posts. Merry christmas to everyone and Best Wiashes for 2009!!!!!
Congratulations to one and all. It was a joy to be a part of the contest and to read so many wonderful and inspiring posts. I am so glad I was not a judge for I would have been totally blown away as to choosing. Debe- Your story is a blessing to many, me included. Keep that front row seat warm because I believe you have many more joys to witness. merry Christmas everyone.
Wow! I can see how this was hard for all the judges to choose the winners! Quite a few submissions. Hope I can find the time to catch them all before the next contest comes along! ;)
It was so awesome reading all your stories! It was terribly hard to come up with the places. I really enjoyed getting to know all of you so much better and in a whole different way! Thank you for sharing from your soul!! I have to go now. My daugheter decided to try and drive to her friends house with 4 foot of snow in the driveway . . .HELLOOO What was she thinking! Anyone care to go dig a car out!
Sally- this was such a great experiment... so very many great posts ... I wouldn't wanted to have been a judge... we are all enriched for being able to share in these collective experiences.
Sally,
I was so busy yesterday with the show and then showings that I did not have a chance to spend much time on AR. I had no idea that the winners had been announced...much less that I was one of them. I feel so honored!
I have read many of the entries, and they are all so beautiful. When I read Debe's entry, I KNEW it had to win. I knew her story already, but it touched me so much to read it again. I am looking forward to reading each and every once again over the holidays. Thanks for putting them all here in one place.
Like so many have said, I cannot imagine being a judge for this contest. Each entry that I've read has been such a work of heart...a deeply moving and inspiring journey in words. It is never easy to reach down so deep and pull out the very thing we work so hard to hide most of the time. But...I know that there is healing in the sharing. I pray that there is also healing in the reading.
Thanks to each of the judges. You are ALL such amazing people!!!
To EVERYONE...May you have a blessed and beautiful Christmas!!
Woo Hoo...
I'm so glad I didn't enter. Waaaaaaaaaay to much competition. They'd have smoked me :)
TLW...ROAR!
Sally, this truly was a labor of love and the best contest I have seen on AR. I just read the top winners and can see why you all had such an incredible task as judges. Thank you so much for bringing these posts to life for us!
Sally my thanks to all the judges for all the hard work they put into judging all the entries. I am sure they had a very hard time making their selections, because all of the ones I read were very good, so I am honored that they felt that mine was good enough to be one of the top eight. Thank you all again.
Sally, Thanks for organizing this contest. It's the best contest I have seen on AR. It must be so hard judging them. I read some of them and I bookmarked this post so I can come back and read some more later.
To all the judges - thanks for your hard work. It must be awesome reading them all and meeting the deadline. We learn a lot about life and what makes us tick.
Thank you all and Merry Christmas!
Wow, so many entries! I read some really great posts! Thanks to everyone that took the time to create, read and judge all the entries. I am sure that took a lot of time!
Okay...gotta start from bottom up. :)
Cristal: Judges took a LOT of time...with all the gitches and such it took time to find them and notify everyone to get them to us as well!
Rosalinda: Thanks so much for your participationg and story! This was by far the hardest to judge out of all the contests we've held. Thanks!
George: You worked so hard on that and it's the first time I've seen you go so IN DEPTH. I appreciate you and your story!
Diane: Thanks for popping by! It WAS the hardest to judge for sure!
TLW: But you do get a little mushy sometimes and who knows? Don't know until you try :)
Elizabeth: This contest proved to be all that we wanted. Healing, inspirational, positive and insightful. It proved we all support this community and value the content we put into it as well. Thanks much and glad to join you on the radio thingy yesterday!
Chuck: It was a grand exeriment and everyone joined in to prove that reading someones story can benefit many in the long run. :)
Tami: Thanks for all your hard work and effort in sharing and caring...to work hard in judging these wonderful stories...of life. :)
Michelle: Hope you can read a few...they really are inspirational for sure!
Martha: And your participation was a winner...everyone's was! I couldn't believe the outpour of emotion that came with this one....not just for me and the judges...but everyone who read them!
Thanks Jean...everyone who participated with entries or commenting did a wonderful job of .....connecting :)
Thanks Liz..you've been quite busy as well....glad you stopped by!
Virginia...thanks and have fun!
Thanks so much for joining in Charlene!
Ann: We appreciate you tenfold! It was a hard one for sure and the time it takes to read and pick and choose...oh, goodness ...I'm glad to have had all of you!
Russell: That was so sweet of you! Now that's some honesty too....:) What a wonderful place this is...to share...connect and learn :)
Castle: Actually it was 48 ... :) and I think we all look to each other for support... that's the beauty of networking here on ActiveRain :)
Neal: funny :) Of course points are great incentive....I love points too :)
Carole: Thanks for entering and as always you have lessons...many ...that we learn from!
Richard: Thanks so much for your support and participation...all the entries added more to contest...than just a contest. It was sharing, giving and caring :)
Diane: It sure did....I'm sure everyone took away some grand learning lessons this time!
Wow... so nice to see all the people that felt the same way that this contest was not only inspirational but one where people got what they needed or wanted from it. Some healing, some inspiration, and a lot of identifying with one story or another. This is what makes it all worth while :) The sense of community, sharing and caring.
Ann: We almost missed a bunch as well! Glad you have a few to tackle some of them :) :)
Anita: Thanks for joining in .....and moving forward...this really proved to be a process for everyone that was beneficial to start the next year on a positive note!
Kathy: Okay...your turn to answer some comments lol! This was way cool yeah?
Sally and all Honorable judges!
I have had the most fantastic day! I contracted a house, saved a house, picked up two more clients, found Bill Blass tops for the grandkids for $1.00 a piece and then came home to an Honorable Mention!
Thank you. It is a wonderful gift to find myself amongst the ranks of some of the best writers here on AR and with sooooo many entries. I have read most of them so far but still have several to go. I want to thank you for helping so many of us to "dig" into our souls for the suitable story to substantiate the theme. You all are great!
Merry Christmas to you and all my fellow Rainers here in PAWS!
Holiday Hugs,
Deb
Toula: Thanks for participating too!
Thanks Steven...you've been supporting the group for sure!
Kristin: Oh, boy ...we did have a job in front of us looking for all the posts! Thanks so much!
DEBE!!! Thanks for calling today! I really enjoyed our little chat and though I was at the office I managed to get a few words in...:)
I appreciate your support and I surely appreciate the story of your husband who understood acceptance to its fullest. That in itself will inspire many who think it is not possible to accept the 'amaller' things :)
Suzanne: The most work I've ever done to FIND all the entries....Kathy and I worked our behinds off searching for them when tags didn't work...groups didn't work. Hmmm. wonder if all the judges can get a little something :) :)
William: That was such a positive reinforcement of what we do here...especially when we're involved in a particular group. Thanks so much for YOUR encouragement, your support and caring. That's what it's all about!
Sally- nice try....your contest, your post...your answers LOL :)
Deb: Yay! You're doing good offline and on!! :)
Kathy: Shucks...now I gotta do a final walk through...will be back to finish :)
Hi Sally. That looks like it was a great contest and I have a lot of posts that I want to read now. :)
Sally - this was a great idea for a contest!!!! You are a true leader here in The Rain!!!
Thanks Sally, and everyone else who put all the time into collecting, reading and evaluating all the entries. When I first read of the contest I was feeling down and didn't think I had much to write about. Then I talked to my daughters, and my entry just about wrote itself. And to prove that positive attracts positive: after I submitted my entry, I got an offer on a listing that my sellers accepted, and a house that had been languishing on the market is now in excrow! To quote you; Woo Hoo!
P.S. Thanks for the points, too! And I enjoyed reading the other entries.
It appears you had great participation with the contest. I was having a real hard time getting logged in. Now that I am back to normal I will be able to read some of the entries.
Susan: So glad you found some time and it turned you around with positive reinforcement with a new contract! WooHoo!
Randy: Aww....we all would've loved to see yours :) Glad you're up and running again.
I am sure this was tough. Having to pick great blogs from such very good bloggers here on Active Rain. I will definitely go through some of them when I get the chance. Congratulations to the winners and honorable mentions. Great post.