It’s been surreal ever since I woke up this morning to find an email from Lyman Reed, a subscriber to the Simpleology newsletter.
Imagine my surprise when I learned from him that I had been selected as the winner of the “Most Life Changing Moment” category!
See the results here.
You may remember a 2 minute video I submitted to them several weeks ago in conjunction with their “BeTheNextBestSellingAuthor.com” video competition.
Sharmaine Hobbs was the one who alerted me to this and suggested that I give it a shot. I had just bought myself a small compact camcorder the week before for the purpose of posting videos at Adversity University.
My immediate reaction was, “why not?”
After several retakes, I finally settled on a story about when I was a kid with a dream to become a pilot and how my Mom used to take me to the local airport to watch planes take off and land. Thirty years later, as the story goes, I actually became a private then commercial pilot. I ended the video by saying that because my mother took me to the airport so often, I ended up doing the impossible by becoming the first deaf instrument rated pilot in the world in 2006.
As soon as I finished that video, I reported to you that I was overcome with a warm, strange feeling of “knowingness.” It was the same feeling I had when I was sitting in the audience several years ago during the announcements of first, second and third place winners for a humorous Toastmasters speech contest. While they were announcing third and second place winners, I was struck with that mystical feeling. Without any supporting evidence, I had known that I won.
While it was exactly the same mysterious feeling I had immediately after finishing the video, I wasn’t sure what it meant at the time.
Credit also goes to a friend of mine, Joni, who had suggested that the pilot story would probably make the most impact. Thank you Joni for planting that seed in my head - I’m so grateful I followed up on your suggestion!
As soon as I submitted the video, I contacted everyone I knew to tell them about it, in hopes of garnering the “Most Viewed.” Everytime someone saw the video, it counted as a vote on YouTube. By the time the competition ended, it had been seen over 3,000 times. Despite my herculean efforts to promote it, the video ended up as the fourth highest views out of 200 videos submitted.
Let me take the opportunity to thank all of you for having taken time out of your busy schedule to look at it - expressions of gratitude are never adequate in situations like this but it will have to do for now.
One thing I will tell you is that I never lost hope even when a well meaning friend suggested I take down the video immediately because she saw it as amateurish (the video ended with a not-so-flattering closeup of my neck when I attempted to shut it off). I looked at her in the eye and firmly replied, “Thanks for your suggestion, but I will not take it down!”
I’m now waiting to hear from the organizers of this competition. The grand prize for each of the three categories (Most Viewed, Most Life Changing Moment and Funniest Moment) include:
- Exposure of the video to over 270,000 Simpleology newsletter subscribers
- $20,000 worth of work in transforming the winner’s book into bestselling material
Food for thought: Impossible dreams do happen if you take a leap of faith and give it your best shot. You never know until you try!
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6:53 pm on March 16th, 2008 1
Woohoo! I’m so very happy for you!
It’s an inspiration for us all to say “why not” the next time an opportunity knocks.
Sheila’s last blog post..Advice for Viewing the Big Island Lava Flow
6:59 pm on March 16th, 2008 2
Sheila:
I knew you would be among many who are just as excited as I am about the results of this competition.
Now I need to focus on going to Hawaii in the future, a subject you know a lot about!
Thanks for your arduent support.
7:26 pm on March 16th, 2008 3
Stephen!
Congrats to you… I felt in my heart as soon as I saw the video that you would win!
This is wonderful and I know it will lead to something GREAT! Time has chosen you, my friend. This is just the beginning.
Sharmaine
7:37 pm on March 16th, 2008 4
Stephen you had a story to tell and we all heard it! Congratulations!!!!!
Shelley’s last blog post..Can Someone Please Get Me A Drink?
9:37 pm on March 16th, 2008 5
Sharmaine:
What a treat to have you a part of this evolving process. It all began with you making an innocent suggestion, “Why don’t you give this a try?”
And look what happened! Thanks so much for bringing this competition to my attention. If it wasn’t for you, I would never have had a chance to participate!
You are my angel.
9:37 pm on March 16th, 2008 6
Shelley;
Wow, that was fast - I just posted this only an hour ago and BOOM, there you are. What a treat. Thanks for your support.
6:26 am on March 17th, 2008 7
BRAVO !!!!
Congrats to you Stephen on the WIN.
May the road of life continue to unfold
~just at the right time~ bringing you
many blessings.
xo xo
Deb
9:32 am on March 17th, 2008 8
Congratulations Stephen!
10:27 am on March 17th, 2008 9
Congratulations, Stephen you desire it. You are one of the most inspiring speakers that I know.
Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker’s last blog post..What Is God?
10:50 am on March 17th, 2008 10
Way to go, Stephen! You’re getting closer and closer to publishing your book!
11:02 am on March 17th, 2008 11
Congratulations. The honor is well deserved. Maybe now my comment on triangulating will start to make sense. Your transparency lets the real you shine through, and lots of us are agreeing on that.
12:11 pm on March 17th, 2008 12
Congratulations!
There is no one who deserves it more than you.
I am so excited for you.
With a loving and giving heart, the Universe reveals unlimited opportunities.
Take Care my friend!
Charles Hamel’s last blog post..Shamans The Bridge between Man and God
12:47 pm on March 17th, 2008 13
I am so thrilled for you, Stephen!
Can’t wait for the details on how they are going to help you publish your book.
A new adventure awaits.
Being from Chicago, I tried to vote more than once. It would not take. So - every vote there is a real person - and just one! Just imagine! Everyone of those 3000!
You never know if you don’t try!
1:12 pm on March 17th, 2008 14
Deb:
Remember that day we had coffee, pondering what the future held in store for us??
Timing…timing…
I know you are as thrilled as I am because you’re a genuine person who truly cares and I appreciate that about you.
1:17 pm on March 17th, 2008 15
Corinne:
Really? I didn’t know that. Thanks for telling me - I had no idea.
It should be interesting to see what steps I will take now that I won this category. I’m so grateful this happened. It’s a humbling experience.
1:20 pm on March 17th, 2008 16
Charles:
Thank you for coming forward and expressing your sentiments. It’s cool to meet new people like yourself congregating within the Adversity University community!
1:22 pm on March 17th, 2008 17
Neil:
Ah, now the triangulation article you wrote about me at your blog is starting to make sense. Yes, sir. I had no idea what you were referring to but I’m beginning to see some clarity behind your trinagulation theory with me in it.
1:26 pm on March 17th, 2008 18
Patricia;
One of these days I’ll come through your town on a speaking engagement and I’ll make sure you get front row seats, okay? Wink, wink.
Thanks for your long-time support. We’ve been through quite a journey together haven’t we? I’m not sure who found who’s blog first but we ended up becoming frequent commentators at each other’s blogs - isn’t that cool or what?
1:27 pm on March 17th, 2008 19
Bruce:
And you! Welcome! It’s great to see new people come through. Thanks for the congratulatory note and I hope to see you back here again.
1:56 pm on March 17th, 2008 20
Way to go, Mr. Hopson.
Now, what I’d really like to see happen is if some of us in HopsonSubscriberLand can take up the banner and spread the word about your wonderful and engaging speaking abilities and presentations.
I believe you deserve a much larger audience than you’re getting.
Anyone out there have an event planner or other decision maker who’d like to book this incredible and genuine motivational speaker?
Michael Werner’s last blog post..Why I Love Failure to Pieces
2:51 pm on March 17th, 2008 21
Well, thank you Michael!
And you would know from experience because you had me as your company’s keynote speaker last year in Orlando, Fla! Thanks for pitching in and asking other subscribers here to help us spread the word about my speaking capabilities.
I very much appreciate the little army of people like yourself who have become self-proclaimed fans and supporters who are persistently and consistently helping me get the word out about what I have to offer as a speaker and writer.
THANKS A MIL!
3:14 pm on March 17th, 2008 22
This comment is for EVERYONE WHO SUBSCRIBES TO ADVERSITY UNIVERSITY;
Did I ever tell you that I love each and everyone of you?
NO?
Well, let’s make it official - I love you! Thank you for being a part of this community and for making it a vibrant place to be.
This is a place where all of us can be loved, accepted, revered and respected.
Thank you for your incredible support - it’s absolutely phenomonial what’s happening here!
Love conquers all!
Your favorite blogger - Stephen Hopson
10:25 pm on March 17th, 2008 23
Congratulations.. It happened to the bestest person with the bestest story and very best video.
Michelle Vandepas’s last blog post..By: Michelle Vandepas
5:37 am on March 18th, 2008 24
Michelle:
And it helped that I got moral and spiritual support from the bestest subscribers like you!
12:01 pm on March 18th, 2008 25
Congratulations Stephen!!! I loved your video and told my husband all about it. He loves planes and flying. He couldn’t beleive that a deaf person could do that. Thanks for showing the unbelieving that it can be done!! It is only the beginning for you as someone else said!!!
Jennifer’s last blog post..Are You a Puppet on Strings? - Taking Back Control of Your Life
1:38 pm on March 18th, 2008 26
Jennifer:
Thanks so much - tell your husband that he can take flying as far as he wishes - it’s an awesome journey to take the first step in starting up an airplane and doing your first takeoff and landing. It’s incredible.
Yes, all of this is a beginning and I’m eager to find out what’s in store……
The contest organizers have contacted me and we are in the process of establishing our first telephone conversation (through a special phone service).
1:48 pm on March 18th, 2008 27
Congratulations Stephen! I knew you could do it! I am looking forward to see what comes next!!
We still need to get together for that coffee… I’ll email you 
1:52 pm on March 18th, 2008 28
Cari:
Yes, having coffee with you soon is definitely a great idea. It’s been too long since I last saw you at your wedding.
Thanks for the support and confidence! What comes next is anyone’s guess…..but I’m sure it’ll be exciting.
3:13 pm on March 18th, 2008 29
(RUSHING IN) Congratulations, Stephen!
::AHEM:: (Raising hand)
By the way, does the comment #22 also include me?
3:30 pm on March 18th, 2008 30
Nita:
YES, #22 includes you - especially YOU because you have become such a good friend to me after you heard me give a presentation last year in Washington DC. You were the only person from the audience I struck up a meaningful friendship with! That’s a treasure to behold.
Thanks so much for RUSHING IN and AHEM, raising your hand like I did so many years ago in my fifth grade class. Seems like that has come a full circle, huh?
Upwarda and onwards.
9:55 am on March 19th, 2008 31
Stephen, I’m just reading about this now but still wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS!! That is so neat, and I love your video! Very inspiring as you always are!
Wendy
Wendy’s last blog post..More Ho?oponopono resources
3:35 pm on March 19th, 2008 32
Wendy:
Thanks! I’m glad you were able to get in on this story just now. It’s beginning to unfold, with a phone call taking place early next week. I will write a post updating everyone - you would like that, wouldn’t you?