Hey there everyone!!

I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing overation at least once in their lifetime.

I was checking out some cool new shows at the Toronto Fringe Festival (always awesome) and got into an interesting conversation with a performer (Christina Leonard) while in line.

We like to give standing-ovations, but rarely do we want to be the first. And we certainly don't want to be the only one.

But, why not?

Somebody has got to be the first. And if there's nobody else standing, the performers will always remember you.

1. Give a Standing Ovation Because Some Things Click Later

Gratitude in advance is the most powerful force in the universe.

There is so much depth of wisdom (sometimes), in great speeches and performances, that we can't possibly process everything in real-time. Professional speaker, Casey Combden, often says, “Some of you will get that on the way home.”

So why confine our appreciation of a show to our current limited perception of its value? Know that every experience in life is valuable, more than we currently imagine, and give it a standing ovation in appreciation.

2. Give a Standing Ovation Because Some Things Are Appreciated Much, Much Later

When I was younger, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people.

I didn't have much of an appreciation for dance and artistic movement in my early life. I couldn't see much of it, and all the details were lost to my poor visual resolution. So I didn't enjoy watching shows that incorporated dance as one of its features (like musicals).

After taking dance classes for many years, I have a whole new understanding of what it takes and what is involved in choreographing a short scene. More than that, I have an overriding admiration of any new art form I get exposed to, because I know, that I don't know what I don't know about mastering that particular art.

3. Giving a Standing Ovation Is Good for You

Empathy is seeing with the eyss of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.

Giving a standing ovation isn't just about standing up and clapping. It's about giving off tons of passionate, positive energy, consciously to each and every one of the performers, producers, writers, personnel, and volunteers.

Acknowledging various aspects of activities and the multitude of people who make that activity possible, has us be more grateful for life, and more empathetic to other people's efforts, talents, and commitments.

4. Giving a Standing Ovation Is Good for the Audience

If you kiss her mind, her body will follow.

Many don't want to be the first, but most love to follow. You inertia will affect other people and literally impact lives. Whether it is slow, popcorn style, or lightening fast, the audience secretly wants to give a standing ovation.

Keynote speaker, Stuart Knight, had a special trick when we co-produced “I Decide.” At the beginning of the musical, he would have half the audience give a standing ovation to the other half, and then vise versa. At the end of the show, we always got a roaring standing ovation from the audience because people were shown the awesome value of a standing ovation from the start. (And the show was good, too.)

5. Giving a Standing Ovation Is Good for the Performers

Integrity: Doing the right thing without an audience.

Performers rarely just do a one-off show. So the audience feedback they receive after a particular show, effects the quality of their future shows.

So what if a show completely sucks? Then, that will come off in the energy and intensity of the standing ovation. It's very difficult to be inauthentic, but it is very easy to be polite and cordial. How do you want people to treat you (particularly when you're in the spotlight)?

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I'm going to stand outside. So if anyone asks, I'm outstanding.

Hasn't there ever been a form of entertainment that just left you breathless? How about jaw-dropping? There must have been something in your life that you saw, that literally blew your mind. Get present to that.

Did you give a standing ovation back then? It's never too late to give a standing ovation. Go ahead and give yourself a standing ovation right now. (I'm watching.)

You'll feel good, and others around you may feel something too. Most importantly, you'll physiologically anchor this moment, and condition the experience of a standing ovation to be more real and alive for you then ever before.