There is one thing I’ve noticed about successful people; their ability to laugh at themselves. Maybe they are laughing because they made a mistake, maybe their professional speaking engagement didn’t go well, or perhaps they learned some quirky things about themselves that they didn’t realize before.
Ever heard of Ryan Reynolds? He’s one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world and he is really, really good at laughing at himself, not to mention a marketing genius; I’ve learned NOT the heir to the Reynolds Wrap fortune. (Kidding)
Successful people let things roll off their backs. They don’t have time to dwell on the fact that they called someone by the wrong name, accidentally said the wrong word to describe something o,r misspelled a word in an email.
Even the most professional people make mistakes! I’ve found spelling errors in best-selling novels. Do you have any idea how many successful people have reviewed those? I’ve heard successful business people stumble over their words. I’ve even witnessed successful business people fall asleep in meetings. It doesn’t change the fact that all of these people are amazing at what they do.
I recently had the opportunity to be on a podcast and after listening to myself, I realized that I say “sure” when answering questions a lot. And I mean A LOT. I think I said “Sure” after almost every question.
Is using the word “sure” better than the word “um”? Sure.
I found it both difficult and entertaining to listen to myself on a podcast. However, at the end of the day, I was able to laugh at myself… a lot. A bit of being able to laugh at yourself is letting go of fear … fear of failure, fear of sounding bad, and fear of making a fool of yourself.
Is my interview flawed? Absolutely. You can tell the host is a polished speaker and me, not so much.
Would I answer some of the questions a bit differently if I had to do it all over again? Yes.
Being able to laugh at yourself is a sign of strength, growth, and success. At least that’s what I’m telling myself as I laugh at my mistakes, mishaps, and misfortunes through life. Plus using your humor in marketing is a great way to grow and scale your business.
I’m not sure there is a business too serious for humor. I once saw a mortician walking around town wearing a t-shirt from the movie The Sixth Sense that said, I see dead people.
The truth is– it’s your life – your journey and your time. So ditch the fear, find your best sense of humor, and go out into the world and make an impact.
Laughter will make you happier, smarter, more interesting, and more successful. If you don’t believe me, just try it! Am I also going to try using humor more? Sure!
- Danae
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