C.R.O.W.N Thought of the Week

My personal platform: C.R.O.W.N: Confident Radiant Outstanding Women Now

"What if we all followed Maya Angelou’s advice and removed the word normal from our vocabulary? Maybe then, we could focus on seizing every single opportunity to embrace our “crazy” inner dreamer, say adios  to our stuffy inner critic, and live our version of a more amazing life."                                                                                                                   -Terri Wingham

I love this Maya Angelou quote and the challenges posed by writer, Terri Wingham. What if we spent our time leading a more amazing, I can do it, I believe in myself mindset and attitude? How would that change us? I remember a time, when the thought of calling myself "amazing" or thinking I could do "amazing" things sounded crazy and self-centered to me. But now, I use it  as a tool to fuel my passions and aspirations. It's boring to be normal, to not believe in yourself, to not see the potential that we each hold within us, and to not feel alive every single day.

Where do you need to add the word amazing to your life and remove words like, fear, apathy, and disbelief?

Love and blessings,

Nicole Vega

February

My first official full month as Miss South Florida Fair is coming to a close and I truly could not be happier. I have put my title into action with the help of my auh-mazzing director Theresa!

I have attended several events this month that have enriched my life greatly...here are a few reasons why:

National Pancake day was such a fun experience. Not only did I meet new people and share some laughs with them, but raising awareness about the Miss America Org and the Children's Miracle Network was very special to me. I visited two locations and all-together we raised a generous amount for the CMN! (Woohoo!)

Attending the Miss Miami and Miss Palm Beach County pageants allowed me to "sit-back and relax" (Whew! A feeling many titleholders love!) while watching my friends "werk it" on stage! At Miss Miami, I was able to chat with our beautiful Miss Florida state director, Mary Sullivan and Miss Florida 2001, Kelly Gaudet. It was a fun, entertaining pageant as Miss Miami & Miss Dade County were the funny but charming MC's! What I enjoyed the most was seeing my friends Amber, Abby and Alex compete for the title. They were beautiful, talented and confident...what more could you ask for!? Congratulations to the new Miss Miami, Janae Deleon...her entire performance was done with such elegance and confidence!

Right: Miss Miami 2013 & Miss Miami 2011...awesome!

The Miss Palm Beach County pageant celebrated it's 50th Anniversary! There was an excitement in the air and feelings of love and encouragement throughout the night. Watching my friends Ty, Jamie, Stephanie, Brit, and Rachel compete was so exciting! I loved cheering them on and I could not be more proud for Rachel, as she was awarded 1st runner-up and Ty for winning the Talent award. (The girl can sing!!) Congratulations to your new Miss PBC, Brittani Robins...she had so much energy on stage and her evening gown....jaw-dropping!

Alongside Theresa, we enjoyed the company of the most influential, powerful, and kind people in our state, the members of the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches. During both lunches I had the opportunities to meet our Governor, Rick Scott and the 1st woman Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. (I just typed that, those things actually happened to me, what!?) Can I say that I love our Governor? He was very charismatic and an excellent conversationalist! We spoke about the Miss America Organization, my role as Miss SFF, and I even invited him to Miss Florida. I hope he took that invitation seriously! Ha! Let's see what happens! ;) I was also able to hear him speak about many prominent state issues. They included, educational funding, gun control, and everglades restoration. I am so proud to be a Floridian for many reasons and he motivated and encouraged me to love Florida even more and serve my state as much as I can! 

Unforgettable moment...

Hearing Madeleine Albright speak was beyond...beyond...beyond incredible. I will truly never forget that moment. Her words were so carefully crafted, her thoughts were concise but triggered so much emotion, and  she had a surprising sense of humor! I can go on and on about her speech but most importantly she inspired me to believe in myself and work even harder than I am now! I urge everyone to read about her life or pick up one of her books! I promise, you will gain so much fulfillment from it! 

Actually, since you're reading, check-out some of her quotes that I love!

"I love being a woman and I was not one of these women who rose through professional life by wearing men's clothes or looking masculine. I loved wearing bright colors and being who I am."

"It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent."

"I am a beneficiary of the American people's generosity, and I hope we can have comprehensive immigration legislation that allows this country to continue to be enriched by those who were not born here."

"For me, America is really, truly the indispensable nation."

Next, I attended the PGA Black History Month Golf Clinic. The first order of business was to find a sassy golf outfit, check! TJ Maxx! Once Theresa and I arrived we were greeted by Mr. Earnie Ellison, director of business and community relations for The PGA of America. He instructed me to enjoy myself, learn about golf and interact with all the children. Needless to say, it was a beautiful day and we had such a fun time! I also chatted with NBA World Champ and analyst, Steve Smith (Who is now following me on twitter, say what!?).

I think you can guess, he's the former NBA player ;)

Lastly, Theresa and I attended Daddy-Daughter date night at Chick-Fil-A. In order to make it really special for the girls, I gifted them princess crowns and my Miss SFF pin with my platform message. I am so glad I had the chance to hangout with them and hopefully make their experience special and unique! It still brings a big smile to my face when they call me a princess... :) Thank you to the Chick-Fil-A staff for the awesome goodies and for making us feel so welcomed!

Do you see her little crown!? Awe!

As this month comes to a close, I am reminded of a few things...

Service without passion is time "not" well spent so always believe in the work you are doing! You never know how something can positively change someone's life. 
And, God continues to prove to me why He is in control and why I need to put my full faith in Him. While that is happening, I'm just enjoying this awesome ride! 
It's okay to do an appearance without heels...I am in much less pain and have much more energy! Ha!

Love and blessings,
Nicole Vega


"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.
You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato
and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to
know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a
soul generated by love."

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The Drum Major Instinct”
Delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, February 4, 1968