A couple weeks ago, I launched my first ever contest, and in the process, I learned what to do and what not to do… and also what I was missing on my blog.

The contest was a veritable success with 26 participants, with a good handful of new followers. Granted, I also gained a lot of followers during the CPRS 2009 National Conference, but the followers I gained throughout the duration of the contest were quite good.

I’ll share one more excerpt from the book – one that has an oddly fitting theme for what I’ve experienced in the past few days – before I announce the winner. Whomever gets this book will be extremely lucky!

Do Not Covet Your Ideas

Give away everything you know, and more will come back to you.
YOU will remember from school other students preventing you from seeing their answers by placing their arm around their exercise book or exam paper.

It is the same at work, people are secretive with ideas. “Don’t tell them that, they’ll take the credit for it.”

The problem with hoarding is you end up living off your reserves. Eventually you’ll become stale.

If you give away everything you have, you are left with nothing. This forces you to look, to be aware, to replenish.

Somehow, the more you give away the more comes back to you.

Ideas are open knowledge. Don’t claim ownership.

They’re not your ideas anyway, they’re someone else’s. They are out there floating by on the ether.

You just have to put yourself in a frame of mind to pick them up.

And the winner is…@mikedefault!

Congratulations, Mike! I know this book will help you in your studies!