Talking of laughing, everybody wants to be funny. Funny equals popular. We all want to make others laugh and when we do, we become super popular. Humour has a special ability to uplift an audience and create connections. With humour you can take your audience on a journey into your heart, your life and get them loving you, as well as laughing with you. But too often we get in our own way and we forget that the key is; Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously.

-Do you know what a foreign accent is? A sign of bravery – Amy Chua

To find humour you have to look into your cave of stories. All the things you did in your life where you slipped up, put your foot in, made a mistake or made some really dumb faux pas. These are the treasures where you will find your ingredients for the funny cake.
We can all relate to these personal stories because we all have made the same or similar mistakes in our lives.

-To get an audience to laugh with you is a great accomplishment – G.V.

Of course, we know that humour is not the answer to everything. But to be able to laugh at your foibles and pesky Boo–Boo’s you will make in life, and on Video, Stage & Page will sure make you a happier person.

Don’t take my word for it – try it for yourself.

How?

Stop the blame; take responsibility for your mistakes. Learn from them and start to view them as feedback.

– When you can laugh at yourself, you are free – Ted Loder
– Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously.

For example, there are certain words I just never get to pronounce correctly. I practice in the mirror, widen my mouth, open my jaw and exaggerate the movement like a clown. The word Entrepreneur is one of these words that stop my brain. Somehow, every time I say it, there is a train in the middle!

There is also my total hilarious inability to learn how to verbally distinguish between eligible and illegible. No matter how many times and no matter how many people offer their help (and I can tell you plenty have tried). I mess up. I can’t flip pancakes either. And as someone with well polished decisions muscles if I have a choice of parking spaces, like more than three, I am a complete disaster. I can’t decide at all! It’s funny; it’s not the end of the world.

When I first started playing saxophone, I joined a big orchestra. A 24 piece all female orchestra. It was great, when I made mistakes, or lost my place, or simply couldn’t read the musical dots (from lack of practice!) I would mime. I could mime incredibly well. Until the first saxophone asked me what happened to my solo? I didn’t tell her I mimed it – but I am telling you. And, it’s funny. Boo – Boo’s happen to everyone. Once you have made a few (especially on Video, Stage or Page!) you can start to learn another way so as not to repeat them – at least in the same way.

You can also learn how to handle them. By that I mean not panic but turn them into something funny. Show you are human.  Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously. There is a life after mistakes.