Have You Ever Entered A Writing Competition?

A successful competition for me is always going out there and putting 100 percent into whatever I'm doing. It's not always winning. People, I think, mistake that it's just winning. Sometimes it could be, but for me, it's hitting the best sets I can, gaining confidence, and having a good time and having fun.

Simone Biles.

When you have the character to develop something that you really enjoy taking part in and giving it all youir best, it will strengthen your resolve and your faith, in progressing forward along your chosen path.

And personally I believe that Simone would be right in saying this because it is extremely true to say too.

I have always loved writing ever since I can remember. Back in my bedroom back in my family home, I would spend literally hours dreaming up fictional stories, that simply 'took me away from the boring & annoying parts of life,' such things as... schoolwork🤣!

Fictional stories were a great way to encourage my imagination to be set free and provide me with that added layer of emotional comfort in life that so many children need as part of their growing up experiences.

Whilst in school, I would also put both my heart and soul into my English composition writing classes - indeed this was probably one of the only things about my school years that I really honestly enjoyed, if I am going to be honest!

During times of family crisis after my father took his own life back in the early 1980s which you can read about below (from one of my previous articles on vocal,) writing provided me an extra layer of 'mental protection' in getting through the tears that fell, and was a therapeutic way at navigating my way through stages of grief that followed. This story can be discovered below:

As a matter of fact, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book, 'On Death and Dying,' (which incidentally is a great therapeutic read) can still be purchased on Amazon for just £8.97 (paperback) or £34.93 (hardback) curretly as of today's date of 3rd March 2022.

Her writing which I studied thouroughly when I was studying for my mental health nursing qualification in 1989, was part of what helped me comes to terms with the suicide of my father all those years ago. To go into more depth, it was specifically the last two steps of what Elisabeth Kubler-Ross identified as:

4. Depression.

5. Acceptance.

Writing helped me weather the storms that came following this family loss, as the mechanism & freedom allowed me to write about my feelings, and to create an 'momentary escape' in which I could wander safely and somewhat more happier. Enabling me to manage & cope with the low mood and depression that I was going through. My reading increased with my field of scope, and Elisabeth Kubler-Ross' book supported me through the arduous journey of coming to terms with the deep loss, and I was finally able to accept my fathers' untimely death from then on...

The true value of writing became lost to me sadly, once I began my nursing career due to the sheer time exhaustion of the position. However after being struck by Covid-19 in 2021 and finding that I had been left with disabilities after having been discharged from hospital. I had to, therefore, give up on working at that point regrettably.

Although one very good point was that not being in the position to work, gave me the freedom to find the hours to pick up my writing all over once more anymore💖...

The entire 5-stage cycle can be seen below:

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Her biography can be discovered here should you wish to read more about her life (courtesy of Good Therapy.)

It is true to say that none of these five stages of the grieving process have to be experienced all at once, or indeed that any single person would experience every single one of those phases. Quite the contrary as a matter of fact, because every one of us are individual and unique in ourselves, so not everyone would go through each stage; very dependant on their own coping mechanisms which possibly would negate their need to use them all.

Defence vs. Coping Mechanisms.

Coping is defined as the thoughts and behaviors mobilized to manage internal and external stressful situations. It is a term used distinctively for conscious and voluntary mobilization of acts, different from 'defense mechanisms' that are subconscious or unconscious adaptive responses, both of which aim to reduce or tolerate stress.

When individuals are subjected to a stressor, the varying ways of dealing with it are termed 'coping styles,' which are a set of relatively stable traits that determine the individual's behavior in response to stress. These are consistent over time and across situations. Generally, coping is divided into reactive coping (a reaction following the stressor) and proactive coping (aiming to neutralize future stressors). Proactive individuals excel in stable environments because they are more routinized, rigid, and are less reactive to stressors, while reactive individuals perform better in a more variable environment.

NCBI. (updated 3rd May, 2021.)

My winning story was originally written & edited by myself, and entered into the publication sited on medium, as part of the 'Valentines Day' competition within the Life and the Performing Arts publication, owned & run by Ilana Lydia.

I love writing articles & fictional stories. They give me the scope to express myself and free my mind. After working as a mental health nurse for 30 -years, writing allows me an effective emotional release, one which I hope you will join me on.

Follow me here on Vocal here and subscribe here too, so you can follow what I write on here. You can also follow me on Twitter, and on Medium too.

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THANK YOU✔️ ...