Hello Steemit,

I AM @theessential.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings."
-William Arthur Ward

Today I wanted to give a special thanks to @jerrybanfield and @gmichelbkk!

The Supernatural Writing contest was a big hit...

Thank you @jerrybanfield for giving the little guys a chance to shine through here on Steemit. Every person who joins Steemit, sees the trending pages and hopes for the day that their post will get that kind of attention.

This opurtunity that you created did just that. I checked my phone one morning/afternoon to see that @gmichelbkk had been generous enough to send me a large upvote through @jerrybanfield’s voting bot. I was surprised to see that the value of my post had increased 4-5 fold.

For those of you who don’t know @gmichelbkk- he helped Jerry read the dozens and dozens (a couple hundred now) of submissions for the SWC. He himself makes some awesome posts here on the platform and I highly recommend that you follow him if you aren’t already.

I believe that it was the next evening that I received a plethora of upvotes from @jerrybanfield, propelling my post to the next level! I cannot thank you enough for your support and encouragement...

Thank you guys so much for taking the time to read my rather lengthy post and making my hard work pay off- for I worked on my SWC post for HOURS...I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity to show the community what I’m capable of.

This is a huge stepping stone for my future here and I can promise you that it won’t be squandered.

I also wanted to thank @gmichelbkk and @aakom for making my post a part of your Top 10 SWC posts. This certainly helped my blog get some extra exposure.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who hasn’t supported me and my post. It has really been a wonderful experience to see how a tiny gem can grow into a diamond.

Here is a little more behind the scenes info!

Several days ago, I stumbled upon @jerrybanfield’s post about the Supernatural Writing Contest (SWC). I had read through the post and quickly decided that I would participate.

I think most people experienced some kind of supernatural phenomena in their life in some capacity- Whether it’s a ghost sighting or an odd coincidence...

I too have had a few of the “supernatural” experiences. Actually, I feel like I’ve had an above average amount of these experiences.

My mother has always told me that every since I was a baby- I had “something special” about me. Yeah I know what you’re thinking- every mom thinks their son is special. Sure, they probably do..but that’s not what I mean. If something strange were going to happen, it was gonna happen to me or with me around.

I’ve always been the type of person that people gravitated towards. You could say that it’s because I tend to stray from the beaten path a bit in life- and people tend to live vicariously through people like that.

I would say that it’s because I listen.

People want to be heard and I tend to always give people that chance. You will never see me trying to pull away from a lengthy conversation or looking visible rushed.

Maybe the paranormal want to be heard too...

I realize I’m digressing a bit....

Back to the topic at hand...

I started writing my post for the #SWC a few days ago. I spent several hours during the day and all night writing it.

I tend to spend a lot of time on my posts but this took quite a long time.

It was actually difficult for me to put the story down on paper (or on screen rather). I had to relive all the moments I had experienced over those years. I had lived in a perpetual state of fear for a long time... I found myself feeling a little apprehensive about telling this story again. Maybe it was irrational but I felt like re-telling the story, brought it back to life.

With all that being said,

I could have never imagined how well received my story was going to be!

A few of my favorites!

I haven’t had the chance to read all or even close to half of the submissions for the SWC. Of the ones I have read, here are a few of my favorites (not in any certain order)- if you haven’t read them yet, you should definitely check them out!!

It’s amazing how so many people have unexplainable events happening in their lives..

Back to life, my own unbelievable experience / @jerrybanfield's Supernatural Writing Contest - SWC
By @mcassani

click here to read

Near Death, The Void and Naked Awareness (SWC)
By @aakom

click here to read

Childhood Recurring Dreams - My entry for @jerrybanfield's Supernatural Writing Contest SWC
By @michelle.gent

click here to read

Supernatural Writing Contest - Real Story The black Thing Around my House
By @ricko66

click here to read

My scary supernatural experience.. Entry for Supernatural Writing Contest by @jerrybanfield (SWC)...
By @biyanoor

click here to read

Good luck to everyone who participated in the Supernatural Writing Contest. There are a lot of good gems out there waiting to be read. Not just in the SWC but in all of the Steemit categories.

Don’t be afraid to read a minnow’s post- or a post that hasn’t received an upvote yet. There is a ton of really awesome, quality posts out there waiting to be discovered.

If you are new to Steemit and you’re trying to get recognized, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Participate in contests, comment on other’s posts, and challenge yourself!!

Thanks again for everyone’s support!!