KAREN'S FALL '03 NEWSLETTER
AS WE FINISH THE MISS AMERICA SEASON AND ENTER INTO THE MISS U.S.A. AND INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT SYSTEMS, I AM COMPELLED TO SHARE OBSERVATIONS OF THIS YEAR'S MISS AMERICA COMPETITION.
THE MOST OUTSTANDING THING I OBSERVED WAS THE FRIENDSHIP SHARED AMOUNG THE CONTESTANTS. HERE ARE TWO THINGS YOU, THE TV AUDIENCE, DID NOT SEE.
ABC WENT OFF FOR ITS 2-MINUTE COMMERICAL AFTER THE TOP 15 WAS CHOSEN; AND THE CONTESTANTS NOT CHOSEN RAN DOWN THE STEPS TO THEIR FAVORITE OF THE TOP FIFTEEN. THEY WERE HUGGING AND CHEERING THEM TO "GO FOR THE GOLD." THE DIRECTOR FINALLY HAD TO RUSH THEM OFF THE STAGE SHOUTING, "LADIES WE'RE ON IN 30 SECONDS."
YOU ALSO DID N0T SEE THE JESTER FROM THE 3RD RUNNER-UP. SHE WAS GIVEN FLOWERS AND USHERED OFF TO "BOOS" - MEANT FOR THE JUDGES -- BUT SHE STOPPED AND TURNED WAVING TO THE AUDIENCE "THAT'S OK, THAT'S OK" NOW THAT'S A "WINNING SPIRIT"OF SPORTS-WOMAN-SHIP
SIDEBAR HERE: THE AUDIENCE "BOOS" WERE AN EXTENTION OF THE LOVE THAT EVEN THEY FELT FROM THAT STAGE-- THEY JUST HATED TO SEE THAT CONTESTANT LEAVE THE TOP FIVE. IT WAS NOT, AS MANY HAD STATED, A COMMENTARY ON THE WINNER.. AS SHE HADN'T EVEN BEEN ANNOUNCED YET.
I DO REMEMBER YEARS AGO, SITTING AT REHEARSAL, CHECKING LIGHTING FOR THAT EVENING'S COMPETITION AND WATCHING ONE CONTESTANT FLOAT FROM ONE COMPETITOR TO ANOTHER. SHE CHATTED/CHEERED/HUGGED SOME, AND PRAYED QUIETLY FOR OTHERS. HER LOVE WAS ALL OVER THAT STAGE.
LATER, I SAID TO MANY, "TODAY I SAW THE REAL MISS AMERICA" BUT WHAT A SHAME SHE WOULD NEVER SEE THE CROWN. THE JUDGES' PANEL WOULD NEVER CHOSE A CONTESTANT WHOSE TALENT WAS "HULA DANCING."
LITTLE DID I KNOW...
EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO PLACE ON THE BALLOT TO SCORE "A LOVING SPIRIT"-- THAT'S TRULY WHAT WINS. -- WHAT A JOY IT WAS TO SEE THAT SPIRIT ALL OVER THE MISS AMERICA STAGE.
PLEASE BE INSPIRED, THAT THE BIG WINNERS ARE THOSE WHO BRING THE CROWN "TO" THE COMPETITION.
FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WILL TRY AGAIN WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, REMEMBER--WORKING HARD IS A GIVEN, BUT WORKING SMART IS HARD WORK.
KAREN'S MAY/JUNE NEWSLETTER Volume 5, 2003
YOUR STATE PAGEANT IS GETTING NEAR. TO HELP YOU REFINE YOUR COMPETITION, HERE ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES MADE.
**GETTING YOUR HAIRCUT OR EYEBROWS WAXED THE WEEK BEFORE COMPETITION--BLUNT EDGES AND BURNT SKIN. **PICKING UP YOUR DRESS AND NOT TRYING IT ON BEFORE LEAVING THE STORE-IT NEVER FITS. **HAVING PADS SEWN INTO YOUR SWIMSUIT- INSTEAD ORDER 1-800-CURVES, SILICONE GEL PADS-NEW UNDER LIFTS--GREAT. **WEARING CLEAR VINYL HEELS WITH SWIMSUIT. ORDER VICTORIA SECRET'S SKIN TONE STRAPIES, $40. ** WEARING CLEAR VINYL HEELS WITH RHINSTONES WHEN GOWN HAS NO GLITZ ON SKIRT-"HEADLIGHTS ON YOUR TOES." **BRINGING TWO COMPETITION DRESSES AND DECIDING BACKSTAGE WHICH ONE TO WEAR--GAME-PLAYING. **MEMORIZING YOUR PLATFORM SPEECH BACKSTAGE MINUTES BEFORE GOING ON-IT'S NOT FRESH, IT'S UNPLANNED. **STEALING MOM'S RED LIPSTICK FOR STAGE. CHERRY LIPS ARE OUT; LINE LIPS IN EARTH RED AND FILL IN WITH BABY LIPS GLOSS- LOOKS RED FROM AUDIENCE, JUST BETTER & UPDATED. **TRYING A NEW HAIRSTYLE BACKSTAGE-ASKING TO FAIL. **ALLOWING A FELLOW CONTESTANT TO DESIGN THAT NEW HAIRSTYLE-BEGGING TO FAIL. **NOT KNOW RESPONSIBILITIES, REGULATIONS OR JUDGING POINT SYSTEM OF PAGEANT-JUST FILLING YOUR WEEKEND. **THINKING IT'S ALL ABOUT DRESS -T'AIN'T NO FASHION SHOW. **YELLOW BLONDES WEARING SILVER AND BROWNETTES WEARING BLACK ILLUSION-READ "COLOR ME BEAUTIFUL." **JUDGING THE JUDGE-DIVERTS ENERGY FROM COMPETING. **THINKING NO ONE'S WATCHING DURING THE OPENING PRODUCTION NUMBER-THE JUDGES ARE! **NOT BOTHERING TO LEARN THE PRODUCTION NUMBERS. BEING A WINNER MEANS JOINING IN AND BEING "IN THE MOMENT." **WEARING YOUR MOTHER'S INTERVIEW SUIT OR BUYING A SIZE 14 AND HAVING IT CUT DOWN TO A SIZE 8-JUST DOESN'T WORK. **WEARING NYLONS WITH SANDALS-TOELESS HOSE PLEASE. **WEARING GLITZY OR SATIN SHOES BEFORE 5 PM; OR WORSE YET, DAYTIME SHOES WITH EVENING GOWN-DAAAA! **WEARING GLOSSY BRONZER ALL OVER FACE-SHINNY M & M. **LOSING WEIGHT DURING COMPETITION-"MISS BAGGY 2003" WORKING HARDINSTEAD OF, SMART. FORGETTING THAT "SUCCESS IS IN THE JOURNEY." THE CROWN IS SOMETHING RECEIVED; A WINNER IS OF THE SPIRIT.
KAREN'S APRIL NEWSLETTER VOLUME 4, 2003
CALLING ALL MISS AMERICA PAGEANT CONTENDERS
YOU'VE WON YOUR LOCAL TITLE AND YOUR DIRECTOR, A VOLUNTEER, IS GIVING OF HIS/HER TIME TO ASSIST YOU WITH EVERY PHASE OF YOUR COMPETITION.
"WAKE UP, AND SMELL THE COFFEE, LADIES"
THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE THE MENTORS OF WHOM MANY OF YOU SPEAK WHEN SHARING YOUR PLATFORM DURING THE PRIVATE INTERVIEW.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THE RUSH IS ON, ONE CAN BE TOTALLY SELF-ABSORBED AND NOT EVEN NOTICE THE VOLUNTEER'S PRESENCE, SUPPORT AND GUIDENCE.
THINK ABOUT IT!
THEY ARE MENTORING "YOUR" ENDEAVOUR.
THEIR ONLY REWARD IS SEEING YOU DO YOUR BEST .
SO JUST A LITTLE REMINDER FOR ALL OF YOU ON THE ROAD TO THE CROWN; "GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE"
LET THOSE VOLUNTEERS KNOW YOUR APPRECIATION IN ALLOWING YOU TO EARN SCHOLARSHIP
WITHOUT THE MISS AMERICA VOLUNTEERS, ALL THOSE WHO'VE COMPETED WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN THE VALUE AND BENEFIT OF: THE LARGEST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR WOMEN IN THE WORLD.
PERSONAL NOTE: THANK YOU, ERIK, FOR YOUR GUIDANCE, ENCOURAGEMENT AND FRIENDSHIP. WITHOUT YOUR MENTORING, I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN MY LIFE'S PATH. MISS WYOMING CITY, MISS MICHIGAN, ATLANTIC CITY YOUR POSITIVE INFLUENCE WAS ALWAYS WITH ME.
TODAY, IT IS YOUR COACHING EXCELLANCE THAT INSPIRES ME. AUGUST 2002, MARKED 40 YEARS OF COACHING OTHERS TO FIND THEIR EXCELLENCE
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MENTORING VOLUNEERS SHAPE OUR LIVES-FOREVER!------THANK THEM-TODAY!
KAREN'S MARCH NEWSLETTER 2003 VOLUME 3
MY BEING LATE WITH MARCH'S NEWSLETTER IS EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS MONTH. IT SEEMS FOR ALL OF US, THE MIST OF PAGEANT-YEAR PREPARATION IS HERE AND UPON US.
CLIMBING UP AND OUT OF MY REVIEWING RESUMES' AND PLATFORMS IN ORDER TO WRITE THIS, REMINDED ME OF THE POWER OF: ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING
HOW DO YOU, IN FACT, RISE ABOVE IT ALL AND GET YOUR COMPETITION TOGETHER AT THE 11TH HOUR?
MOST IMPORTANTLY: GET OUT THE CALENDAR AND DO A COUNTDOWN. IS IT POSSIBLE OR ARE YOU SETTING YOURSELF UP TO FAIL. ASK YOURSELF, IS THIS A PATTERN, OR AN EXCEPTION TO THAT PATTERN?
IF IT'S THE FORMER, CALL YOUR FRIENDS, PLAN A TRIP AND TRY AGAIN NEXT YEAR. IF IT'S THE LATTER, MAKE A LIST OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED AND FILL IN YOUR CALENDAR ACCORDINGLY.
NOW IF ALL IS COMPLETED TWO WEEKS BEFORE COMPETITION; YOU'RE A WINNER BEFORE YOU WALK THE RAMP. IF NOT, AGAIN, YOU'RE PLANNING TO FAIL
THE ATTRIBUTE I HAVE ALWAYS NOTICED IN SUCCESSFUL WINNERS IS: MIND ASSIMILATION. THAT MEANS THE COMPETITOR HAS PLANNED HER COMPETITION ALLOWING HER TO MINDFULLY ASSIMILATE IT. DURING THE LAST TWO WEEKS SHE POLISHES THE APPLE; REVIEWING, REHEARSING, AND REFINING ALL PHASES.
REMEMBER: IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOU ARE REALLY PLANNING TO FAIL.
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