I admire quilters who enter their work in shows... I'm crazy competitive when it comes to sports (went to college on a track scholarship) but I enjoy quilting so much as relaxation that it would probably be counter productive for me. I avoid quilting guilds for the same reason actually - guess I'm a happy solo quilter who finds that online motivation/support works best for me!
Now that I think about it... I've never even been to a quilt show. As much as I love seeing sample quilts at my LQS I should probably attend one.