I just finished Chris Gethard’s book Lose Well, and it was loaded with good, tough love about failing first before you make it. But before I move on to a hot, new book, there are a couple more excerpts I wanted to share. The first is for people who either feel stuck in a small town where in seems no one is interesting in hearing what you have to say, or in a massive city, feeling like you’re drowning because no one has an ounce of humanity in their soul:
A community is out there for you. Connect with it. It’s easier to survive beautiful disasters when you have allies in the cause. Friends and compatriots remind you that when your world burns, you should stand right next to the flame. Fires are warm and, sometimes, they light the way.Chris is a big proponent of scaring yourself in order to truly grow. That’s why he often does standup in very unforgiving venues, but then expands his options:
I don’t need comedy to beat the shit out of me on a daily basis; just in the times when the challenge has plateaued. So to make sure I am getting the shit beat out of me, I take Brazilian jiu jitsu classes. I do not belong there. They are filled with professional athletes and mixed martial arts fighters and former college wrestlers. At the end of each class, we participate in a series of live sparring rounds against classmates to see who can tap out the other first using chokes or joint locks. I wound up being paired with a woman who proceeded to destroy me. She tapped me out at least a dozen times. When the round mercifully ended, I was shell-shocked. A classmate saw the dazed look on my face and asked me if I was okay.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m good, but Jesus, that blond girl beat the hell out of me.”
“Of course she did,” he said. “She fought in the UFC three nights ago.”
