The Hit List - The giveaway blues

I was talking to a fellow entrepreneur the other day. They were feeling blue because a recent giveaway received pushback. It’s not because they did anything controversial. It’s because some people were not happy with the rules.

Some wanted exceptions (it didn’t ship overseas). Others were miffed it was hosted on a social media platform they didn’t use. Sigh.

She felt like throwing in the towel and never offering a contest again.

I’ve been in that same position. A few years back, I did a series of contests for young tarot readers. The winners would receive a year of mentoring. I received plenty of hateful mail from people who felt angry and left out because the contest wasn’t open to all ages.

Let’s think about that for a minute.

Not every contest is for every person. You might think that’s unfair, but it’s not. Do I want to enter a giveaway for five-year-olds? NOPE. Sometimes you’re not eligible – and this isn’t discrimination. (Of course, that makes me wonder if children’s contests ever get requests to enter from full-grown adults?)

When you’re generous by nature and some people feel it’s not enough, it becomes too easy to pull back and never offer up anything for free again. Why do you want to give when you deal with cries of unfair or mean-spirited comments (I actually had one person post “ageism strikes again” when I ran my contest for young readers!)?

Here’s what I want you to remember: you must never let those types turn you into someone you’re not. If you love to share and giving feels good, do your thing, even if it’s not enough for some. The ones who get it (and you) will always appreciate your kindness.

“But I give best when I give from that deeper place; when I give simply, freely and generously, and sometimes for no particular reason. I give best when I give from my heart.” ― Steve Goodier

Pretty in purple.

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