Break A Leg!

"Another opening, another show." That's what's running through my mind as we stand at the brink of a brand new year.

Imagine, if you will, it's opening night. The last strains of the overture have faded. The house lights go down. The curtain begins to rise. The audience is hushed with anticipation as you are about to make your entrance.

All the rehearsals are over. All the promotion and hype has been dispersed. Your press clippings and past accomplishments are of no further help. All that matters is what you are about to do next. How will you engage your audience?

Am I over dramatizing things? Yes, but not that much. Think about it for a moment. Isn't life a whole lot like show business? Isn't it all about generating an enthusiastic reception and response from the people that are important to us? If we succeed, we pack the house with raving fans, eager to celebrate our charm and talents. If we fail, we find ourselves playing night after night to empty chairs.

And we're not talking about fifteen minutes of fame here. We're talking about putting ourselves out there day after day, attempting to meet the needs of our "audiences."

So, here we stand at the "opening" of a new year. Last year's show is history. It might have been a hit or a dismal failure. For most of us, it was somewhere in between. It really doesn't matter because this is a new season; a fresh stage, representing new hope and possibly new life.

What are we to do with this opportunity? If we're smart we'll take a lesson from the most successful show business performers. They continually strive to understand and meet the needs of their audiences. How can we know what an audience needs? Our best clue comes from getting a clear understanding of our own needs.

So, just before we make our entrances, let's ask a simple question. Keeping in mind that we want many things, what is it that we actually need this year? Each of us must answer this question individually. If you haven't done this in a while, you'll find it helpful to read or reread the exercises in my book, "The Fun Factor: Unleashing the Power of Humor at Home and On the Job." If we are honest with ourselves, we'll discover that we all share essentially the same needs.

When I set aside for a moment the many things I want, I find that what I really need is to be loved, respected and appreciated. I need some evidence that I am making a difference. I'll bet your needs are not that different, and the same could be said for the members of your audience. Whether we're on stage or sitting in the balcony, we all need love, respect and appreciation. The performer who communicates those sentiments, will be embraced with enthusiasm.

That means, by learning to give others exactly what we need, we can become smash hits.

That leads to the well-known show business phrase, "Break a leg!" Most people think this reflects an ancient superstition, which holds that it's bad luck to wish a performer good luck. While that may be true, I think the words convey a deeper understanding of what goes into a successful performance. By "breaking a leg" a performer demonstrates that she is human after all, despite her prolific talent. Seeing that she can be vulnerable to the same "frailties" as anyone, those in the audience are apt to more readily feel personally connected to her. Standing on both feet, she towers above the audience. A broken leg brings her down to their level. Audiences admire talent, but they embrace humanity.

It seems to me that Ethel Merman had it wrong when she sang, "There's no business like show business." To the contrary, I think all business, and all of life, is like show business.

So, this year, before we do anything, let's examine our hearts to be clear and honest about what we need. Then, get out there and break a leg.

Dr. Clifford Kuhn is both a psychiatrist and a comedian. He is professor of psychiatry at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. His book, The Fun Factor: Unleashing the Power of Humor at Home and on the Job , is available in bookstores and on his website. A professional member of the National Speakers Association, he offers entertaining workshops and presentations on humor skills and is available to anyone interested in enhancing performance, productivity and health by creating an atmosphere of fun. Results are guaranteed . Dr. Kuhn may be reached by phone (502-722-8732), e-mail (laffdr@aol.com) or by visiting his website (www.humorbeing.com).