How To Become Funny ?
People often have perspectives and attitudes which keep them from
being as funny as they could be.
Why should I enter a cartoon caption writing contest? I don't want
to be a cartoonist!
Why should I perform at an comedy-club open-mike night? I don't
want to be a comedian!
Why should I compete in a Toastmasters humorous speech contest? I
don't care about winning contests.
Why should I enter a joke writing contest? I have no goals to be a
writer.
Why should I join an improv troupe? I don't want to be a
professional improv player.
Thinking along those lines is comparable to thinking: Why should I go to the gym and work out? I don't want to be a body builder!
Sure, going to the gym is something body builders do. But most
people who to go the gym go for other reasons:
- To feel better.
- To be more attractive.
- To fit into their clothes.
- To meet other people.
- To relieve their stress.
- To look at themselves in the mirror.
Would you ever say: "Why should I take off my clothes? I don't
want to become a nudist!" Well, maybe you just need to change your
outfit. Or wash your clothes. Or go to bed. Or maybe you just
had a losing hand at the poker table. There are lots of great
reasons to take off your clothes. I'm sure you can think of some.
To think, "Why lift a weight? I don't want to be a body-builder" is
just a convenient excuse NOT to do something you probably don't
want to do in the first place. But if that activity offers great
fringe benefits, you're missing out.
Activities like entering contests, performing with an improv troupe
and stepping on an open-mike stage, are great ways to "get in
shape." It's like going to the gym for your humor muscles. You do
it for the growth. And something which initially might be an
uncomfortable challenge, becomes fun. And with each success, you
are on a new platform from which you can jump to an even higher
level.
People take on those "humor-gym" challenges for many reasons:
- To sharpen their sense of humor.
- To share laughter with others.
- To become a more effective speaker.
- To be more attractive (people are attracted to someone with a
sense of humor).
- To get promoted. You become more effective in the workplace.
- To have fun and relieve stress.
Have the courage to take on a challenge which may seem as an
unlikely activity for you. You will probably be pleasantly
surprised at how rewarding and energizing it is.
It's about developing a better sense of humor.
Copyright by John Kinde
مواقع النشر (المفضلة)