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Take a Bow -- Writer's Poke #89

For Writers:

As a college dean, one of the complaints I often hear from faculty and staff is: "No one recognized me for my efforts." But when I ask, "Did you let people know what you accomplished?" I am often surprised how many times the idea has never occurred to them. For some reason, and perhaps it's just human nature, people think that everyone knows what great things they are doing without needing to be told (or reminded).

Of course, we do live in a culture where shining the spotlight on yourself is somewhat frowned upon. And yet, we all need praise, and we all need that spotlight from time-to-time. Therefore, I think it is artificial to go around avoiding the spotlight, only to wonder why no one is looking at you. If congratulations is what you seek, go ahead and take a bow. When others ask you what you're bowing for, let them know. You're sure to get more applause that way.

And hey, people take too much pride in humility anyway, and pride is a sin!

What have you recently accomplished that has gone unnoticed? Maybe you wrote a poem, maybe you cleaned the house, or maybe you just did a freewrite for this writing exercise. Whatever the case, describe what you did that you seek recognition for, and take a bow.

"The pride of the peacock is the glory of God." -- William Blake

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