When Funny Fails

I’m not as funny as I used to be.

And I’m okay with that.

By funny, I mean

Witty. Clever, Quick.

I put a high value on wit;

not so much on “funny”.

Even so,

I’m not as all that as I used to be.

And for good reason.

I used to be the gunslinger

of witty (& oft times) withering comments.

Part of my leadership training

taught me things I never knew about

my preferred brand of humor.

Recently I watched a leader

stand in his power with insightful

comments…

…and then throw it all away with a joke.

Every. Single. Time.

Entertaining? Yes; Effective? No.

Another colleague’s

humor fell just shy of

passive aggressive abuse:

biting sarcasm,

followed immediately by a purred

“you-know-I-love-you.”

It was like being in the room

with a beautiful, coiled snake.

No wonder everyone on this team is tense.

My training taught me

humor is a gift and a skill

that has to be thoughtfully managed.

A friend reminded me

It’s okay to turn down an opportunity.

“You don’t have to have all the money,”

he said.

True of humor, as well.

I don’t have to have all the laughs.

Just the right ones.

A Well-Curated Life

Create Rituals Rather Than Resolutions