What I’ve learned from Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson was one of my heroes and his passing has left me stunned. Like many others I’ve been glued to the television listening to his friends and colleagues share their thoughts on his life and legacy. While their stories are touching and revealing, one of their recurring observations has struck me as particularly important.

Many of them pointed out that Johnny Carson was at his best when things didn’t work out as planned. When a joke bombed he’d get a bigger laugh than if it had worked as expected. When an animal didn’t cooperate, Johnny could turn it into something hysterical. And when a guest fell flat, Johnny could slip in and save the day. A few of his friends even said that Johnny often preferred it when things didn’t go as planned. He actually enjoyed the opportunity to ad lib.

What an amazing talent. Most people, myself included, are often terrified to think that things may not work out as we want them to. We hesitate to do something because, well, what if it doesn’t work out? What if I screw up? What if others don’t like it? What if (you fill in the blank). And these fears stop us in our tracks.

The sad fact is our fears are, oftentimes, justified. Things rarely work out the way we expect them to. There are simply too many “unknowns” in the equation of life for us to be able to predict with much certainty how something is going play out. However, what if, rather than allowing this unpredictability to paralyze us, what if we could learn to embrace it? To play off of it? And maybe even learn to laugh at it? It can be done. Johnny Carson did it. Maybe we can, too.

Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 at 04:28 PM

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