I was reminded of the power of applause and cheering this past weekend as I attended my daughter Morgan's annual dance recital.  The evening was filled with makeup, tutus, and tap shoes...along with bundles of nerves as the girls paraded across the stage.

The MC for the evening (who happened to be Dick Richards aka Bozo the Clown from WZZM 13 - anyone else have the pleasure of playing Bucket Bonanza on TV back in the day or am I really aging myself??) encouraged us to clap, cheer, and make lots of noise when we saw something we liked.  You can imagine the cheers when the 3 and 4 year olds stepped onto that stage for the first time.  You could feel the energy swell and see the sweet little dancers beaming whenever the audience cheered for them.

When was the last time someone clapped and cheered for you?  Was it during a sporting event or program?  Or were you at work?

We all like to know in some shape or form that we are noticed and valued for doing something good.  Sincere and meaningful feedback doesn't take a lot of time to produce.  If you can't remember the last time you said something positive about a co-worker's performance, do it now! 

Just because we've grown up and our stage looks a bit different now, we haven't outgrown the tendency to shine when we're appreciated.