Challenging my brother in endless games of one-on-one, thriving to attain the highest grades in my class, continuing to push my limits in everything I do—competition has always played a huge role in my life.

Anyone with a competitive nature will agree that winning can be everything. Whether it’s being honored with college scholarships, getting chosen for your dream job, scoring that buzzer beating shot, or earning a crown that awards you with a year of blessings—winning feels really good.

Shining Moment: Amber Johnson fulfilled a dream when she was crowned Miss National Teenager 2008.

This year I achieved a huge dream of mine. I won a national title and was crowned Miss National Teenager 2008. As I walked across that stage with my crown and flowers, I realized that winning wasn’t the reason I was so proud. What really mattered was at that point in my life, I was the very best that I could be and had so much more to look forward to that year.

No matter how much we deny it, in the pageant world we’re all guilty of the “check out the competition” stare down. All girls, even me, feel obligated to see what the other girls have to offer and potentially create conclusions of what might allow the other girls to win. After all, winning is all that matters, right?

Going into nationals this year I received a piece of advice that molded how I now think. “In any competition, (you) realize that you aren’t competing against other people—you are competing against yourself,” stated brilliantly by Renee Fielden, Georgia’s National Teenager State Director. Whether you’ve competed in pageants your whole life or are preparing for your first one, it’s important to go in with that mindset. Regardless of how astonishing the other girls are, the only thing you can control is yourself. How you look, act and perform is how you will win pageants and succeed in life. No one else can affect your score.

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Making Friends: During her travels to state pageants around the country, Amber Johnson has made many friends, including Miss California National Teenager 2007 Ali Preciado (above top), Miss Oklahoma National Teenager 2007 Sonya Barrett (above, right, in red), and Miss Junior National Teenager 2008 Kati Krieg (above, left). (Above, right) As part of her platform as Miss National Teenager 2008 Amber Johnson spends time with the Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood.

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During my week of competition, instead of focusing on how good the other girls walked, I thought about what I could do to improve on how I walked. Instead of getting nervous about interviews because the other girls seemed nervous, I assured myself that I knew better who I was and how I felt about issues. Instead of admiring the beautiful dresses that graced rehearsal stages, I remembered the feeling I had when I first looked in the mirror with my evening gown. As I stood in the middle of the stage holding the hands of the other phenomenal girls in the Top 5, I realized something important—if I did get to wear the crown, it certainly wasn’t because I was better than the other girls.

It was because I was focused on being the best Amber that I could be. As I heard the name of the first runner-up called and it wasn’t mine, I dropped to the ground knowing that I had just won. But this year, I realized that winning big taught me how unimportant winning actually can be.

I was able to travel to state pageants during my reign, and apart from the production and volunteering, I really got to know the girls that I competed against at nationals. With each pageant I visited, I began to question why in the world the judges picked me.

Ali Preciado from California has the greatest personality of anyone I’ve ever met. New Jersey’s Katie Barry could dance circles around Dancing with the Stars’ Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas. Sonya Barrett from Oklahoma is without a doubt the next big country-singing star. And beauty isn’t the only thing the brilliant Melissa Morgan from Michigan has going for her. I’ve laughed for hours with Kylie Toye, my favorite jokester from South Carolina. I never fail to have a good time whether in hotel hallways or New York City shops with Crystal Reed from Ohio. And Lindsey Richardson from North Carolina has the biggest heart of any woman in the world.

I did win a crown, banner, a title full of glamour and a jaw-dropping prize package—all of which I’m extremely thankful for. More importantly, though, were all of the blessings that came along with what I won; the improved version of myself, devoting time to making positive impacts in the lives of others and lifelong friends scattered throughout the country.

Winning, finishing on top, being the best, taking the gold—yeah, those things are great, but they can’t even compare to the memories created during the journey.