How to Laugh at Yourself

Welcome to the Soul of Innovation podcast. I am Thomas Anglero. And do you want me to help you to have a wonderful moment right now? Make you smile and appreciate the world? Make you just feel good about everything? Let me tell you a short story. This is going to be a short one. The other day, friend of mine, Steven, sent me a video of Cheech and Chong's clip from one of their movies. The Mexican Americans go to nice school, take Spanish and get a B. That whole skit, it's hysterical. I laughed my head off watching the whole skit that he sent me. I just thought it was wonderful. And then it occurred to me Why do I find this so funny when today people watch Cheech and Chong movies and they are so offended? They want to take up the cause and fight for Mexican-American rights, that this is not right to make fun of these people and the indigenous and blah blah blah. The reason why it's funny, it was that those of us who grew up in the back of the days when the Cheech and Chong movie came out We were fighting for our lives. We were fighting to get a place in the next softball, baseball game, or stickball game, or basketball game. We were fighting to get into the building that we lived in because the gangs or the building bully wouldn't let us in without us having to pay him some money or do him a favor, if you know what I mean. We were fighting on a hot summer day to get a drink of water from the fire hydrant that was just flowing, and they surrounded it, and you're thirsty as hell, and you had to fight your way through those people just to get a drink of water from the fire hydrant. And in the evening one day, Qi Jinchang released a movie that made us all forget the fighting, the bleeding, the swelling, the life we had back then. And it grounded us. The bullies, the fighters, the athletes, the moms, the dads, we all laughed. We all forgot about all the bull. And we remembered how life is beautiful and funny. Today, you want to have a wonderful moment, have a wonderful life, have a great afternoon, have a great existence? Forget about all the stuff, the stuff. Remember how wonderful life is. Don't think about other people. Don't— why are you looking for a fight? Stop looking for a fight. Growing up fighting, which I know all about, and those people who grew up in those days, they know all about. Just ask them to show you the scars. We all wear long sleeve t-shirts for a reason. Stop looking for a fight. Stop worrying about other people's rights. We got this. We made it this far, we'll make it even further. Take care of yourself, take care of your soul, take care of your mind, take care of your feelings. Stop looking for a fight and just enjoy the now. Enjoy the hysterical— hystericalness, is that a good word? Enjoy the humor. And two guys from Mexico, Mexican Americans, who decide to make fun of themselves and their culture and put together a movie that is a classic in comedy. Laugh at yourself, laugh at your own culture, like, laugh at the culture you built up, like, laugh at your shoes, open up your closet, laugh at your wardrobe. Laugh, enjoy life, don't take it so serious, and stop living life looking for a fight, because that's what most of us are doing. We're so worried and caught up about everything. What is this person going to say? What did that person say? This project that I'm working on, how come nobody sees me? How come nobody respects me? How come this person keeps yelling at me? How come this person's turning down, talking down to me? How come my husband or my wife doesn't take care of me, love me, sleep with me, talk to me. We're always looking for a fight. Just enjoy the now. Enjoy this moment listening to this podcast. I'm not attacking you. You have this moment. Enjoy it. This is your moment. Doesn't it feel good? And just start smiling and laughing. Life is wonderful. Mexican Americans go to night school, take Spanish and get a B. That's funny. Go forth and spread beauty and light and laugh at yourself. When you're able to laugh at yourself, you'll find that at any moment, at any day, you can bring a smile to your own face. I'm Thomas Anglero. I love you from the bottom of my heart. Take care of yourself. Stop looking for a fight and just smile. Give yourself a hug. Until next time.