I come back to this video from time to time. I'll let you watch the full frame-up, but Hugh Jackman wasn't supposed to sing during this rehearsal.
But he could feel "it."
The moment. Bubbling up. Rising up. Waiting to be seized.
As a performer, there are these moments...lightning in a bottle...that you get to experience only a few times. You can’t plan on it…you can only prepare for it. And most importantly:
Be present for it.
You only know it’s a moment when you’re in the moment. You look around the room. You can feel it. You can see it on your fellow performers' faces; just like in this video. They knew it. He knew it.
The moment was here.
And he had to seize it.
The moment makes you feel utterly and completely alive. Unchained. Unbound.
You're riding the lightning.
Everything is going right. Every note, hit. Each line, nailed. The colors seem brighter and the energy surrounding the performance almost tangible. It feels electric. Barely contained. And you feel like you’re being pulled into a vortex of emotion.
It happens in sports too. The moment. The game is moving slower. You see the plays before they happen. Athletes call it being “in the zone.”
Just like performers, athletes too have their “good” games…even their great games. But those ‘in the zone’ moments are rare for them as well.
And don’t get me wrong…the harder you work on your craft or your sport, the more good nights you’ll have. Great nights, even.
But lightning moments?
Those are fleeting. And you don’t always see them coming.
But that hope of a ‘moment’ will get you through the long rehearsals. The flubbed lines. The missed notes. The raw voices and raw emotions. The frustration. The missed dinners. The missed…everythings. Time with family. Time with other friends.
All to chase that moment. To ride the lightning…one more time.
Life is the same. There are bad moments, yes. But also good moments. And even great moments. By working on ourselves and our skills…“rehearsing” and practicing; working through the frustrations and missteps, we’ll have more good days. More great days.
But then comes those lightning in a bottle moments too.
The first kiss. Your wedding day. The first time you hold your child. Your first job. Your first promotion. Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person.
And sometimes, just a random Tuesday…while doing the mundane…you may catch lightning in a bottle in an amazing and unexpected way.
But just like the stage…just like sports…you have to show up. Even on the hard days. Show up. Rehearse. Prepare. Give it your all.
And Be in the Moment.
It's the only way to catch and ride the lightning.
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