Life Advice From Norm MacDonald
Put it all on double six
By now you’ve likely heard that comedian Norm MacDonald passed away. He’ll be remembered as someone that made the world laugh-indeed, few were better at the craft of comedy than him.
I mean, c’mon:
After SNL, he continued on (more or less) out of the spotlight. It would’ve been easy for him to end up bitter. But he never lost sight of how lucky he was and the importance of taking a risk.
In his book “Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir” he says:
"I lost it all a few times. But that's because I always took the long shot and it never came in. But I still have some time before I cross that river. And if you're at the table and you're rolling them bones, then there's no money in playing it safe. You have to take all your chips and put them on double six and watch as every eye goes to you and then to those red dice doing their wild dance and freezing time before finding the cruel green felt."
His comedy was a gift to us all, but so too was his outlook on life.
What are you gambling on?
Thank you, my friend. That really means a lot to me to have your support. And you absolutely have mine as well.
I’m gambling on making a living as a writer. I don’t need or want a great deal of money. Just enough to survive and be happy doing what I love. I never expect riches, but enough to get by on would bring a lot of quality to my life. I recognize it’s a long game, and I’m fine with that. I’ve done other things all my life and now I’m ready to spend the rest of my life doing something I love, something that’s deeply meaningful to me.