They're real people, just like you . . .

On American Idol last night, Diana Ross played mentor to the top twelve singers remaining in the competition. As she met each one, she listened to them sing and shared her wisdom regarding improvements to their performances.

When she met Phil Stacey, he mentioned having having an issue with "just gathering myself and getting in the right mindset before I go out on the stage".

Diana said, "You know what seems to really, really work for me is looking at the audience. They're really real people with the same feelings like you have and everything."

I loved this piece of advice, and I agree that it works. When you make a personal connection with people in the audience, one by one, they are no longer a frightening mass of faces. They become individuals - individuals who are smiling, encouraging you and wanting you to succeed!