Contest is such an amazing program we use to test our skills among colleagues in the same fields, and it can also be an avenue to learn new things, improve on ourselves, and instill the winning mentality that helps us become the best version of ourselves. I've attended a couple's of contests offline that range from different fields, and today I'll love to tell you about the last contest I attended and how it's ended, so without further ado, come along as I take you through it all.
Image by Asad Photo Maldives on pexels
So a year after graduating from the university, I was coming back from a friend's place when I saw they were holding a skills acquisition program that began two days prior to when I saw it. They also mentioned in the banners that there'll be a contest among everyone who participated in the training, so they can choose the best and, as well, give those winners some startup equipment that'll aid their growth in their new food skills.
I stepped into the building and saw the different skills that's being taught, but I was mostly attracted to the event decoration segment of the skills acquisition, probably because I usually join hands with my fellow workers in church to decorate the altar, and I felt within me that learning this would make me better, and we could then upgrade the decorations we'd be doing on the altar thereafter.
Image by Asad Photo Maldives on pexels
On arriving at the place of registration for the skills acquisition, I was told registration had ended because it had already started two days earlier. I was disappointed, but before I left, I overheard the instructor lamenting about how slow those guys were working on a decoration style she just taught them, and they responded by saying that the place is high and they'll need to climb on something to do it perfectly. On hearing that, I quickly voiced out that I could do it, and when the instructor saw how tall I was, she agreed but was concerned if I'd be able to do what they're doing because I didn't witness the teaching.
I quickly vet the previous side of the design they've done, and I replicate the same on the remaining section. The instructor was amazed, and after that day of training, she registered me even though they said registration was closed. That's how I became a part of the initiative and learned about different decoration styles for two weeks. By the end of the teaching of the various skills, the organizers asked each skill instructor to nominate three people in their section to come compete for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the contest that's about to begin.
Fortunately for me, I was among the 3 people my instructor chose, and when it got to the contest quest we were given, we all set out to work, but my height gave me an edge, and that made me faster. That's aside from designing something fantastic; I can also still deliver on time. At the end of the contest, the judges vetted our designs, and I was fortunate to come out first in the event decoration segment.
Image by Melissa on pexels
I was thrilled by that because I actually hadn't learned about event duration prior to that time, aside from joining the church workers to do some simple basic decoration on the church altar. Overall, I was excited, and when it came to the prize given section, I was given a cash prize of ₦20,000, 50 pieces of chair covers, 5 table covers, and two long yards of decoration fabric.
What I learned from the contest was that it's not about how far, but how well. Maybe people began the training before me, and yet I was able to catch up with them and even become better.
I also learned that all we needed was a dedicated and willing mindset to excel in the things we did.
We should also be able to use whatever we're gifted with to our advantage. Prior to that contest, many mocked me for my height, but via that contest, I was finally able to brood out the advantage of being the same height, and many wished they had it.
That's about all for now. I hope you enjoyed the read. Have a wonderful day ahead.