Did you know you can make a living off of funny faces?
Imagine getting paid to do that one thing which made your friends laugh in kindergarten, got you kicked out of class, and scared the girls away!
Yes, there’s power in making funny faces, and it has been the door opener for most of my success in business, on stage, eventually convincing my wife to marry me and making my children laugh.
What are the secrets to making a funny face?
1st: Willingness to Look Stupid
Being willing to look stupid takes supreme confidence, sharing the weirdness that is you can be scary. Putting it out there to be mocked, laughed at, judged, can keep most from ever going for it. Yet, the payoff when it lands with those who resonate – life-changing and courage building. I think my willingness to look stupid may be my superpower.
2nd: The Differentiator
Be the one who shares the silly face and you will be remembered. Whether for ick or good, it sticks. It becomes your Signature Move that you are known for, and can even be something others reference about you when they can’t remember your name (“Do you remember that guy who did that thing with his lips? What was his name? That was amazing. I wish I could do that.”).
3rd: The Promise
If you make a promise to share your gifts wherever you go, whenever you’re with somebody, you will spread light and joy to all you come in contact with. It is no exaggeration that I talk about on stage what happens off stage with the faces I make to random strangers. Their responses are incredible. How can we not keep the promise to share?
4th: It’s Fun for Me
I find it incredible how much joy it brings me to spread joy to others. Seeing a frown turn upside down is a beautiful shift in someone’s day and demeanor. I have seen this happen so often how can I not share?
5th: Total Freedom
It’s nice to not worry about what others think. The practice of making a funny face gives you permission to express yourself without concern of someone’s take on it. This allows for absolute freedom of self, and opens a door of vulnerability that most haven’t seen before, and emboldens others to share what makes them wonderful.
For the last 25 years I have stood on stages in professional business settings, on wartime military bases, before politicians, royalty, and the wealthiest people on the planet; Olympic athletes, Hall of Famers, actors and speakers, children and grandparents; world-renowned theaters, TV productions, and award shows.
In every single instance, I have made my funny faces.
If I don’t, I have broken a Promise to the person who hired me because they saw me do it at the event which convinced them to have me at theirs.
And so, it’s in every performance, and is here to stay.
Similarly, as stated above, a part of my courtship with my soon to be wife was making the faces. Instead of kissing her on the 5th date, I brought her face close to mine as if I were going for it, and instead did the bunny nose wiggle on her nose. She threw her head back and laughed, it broke the ice of having our first kiss, and she couldn’t wait for us to kiss on the next date and the rest is history.
My children also have enjoyed their dad who is different than most dads. When they were little they asked me to share my funny faces with their friends. Now that they’re older, they don’t encourage it, LOL, but they always love the reactions from their pals when I surprise them with it. It has even been extra rewarding to see which of my little ones have inherited certain facial contortion abilities, and when I see them trying those faces out, a little tear comes to my eye.
There’s a power in making funny faces, at least for me. I encourage everyone to do their version of a funny face, whether it’s a face or something else. And very likely yours is something else!
Remember, you have talents I don’t have, I have talents you don’t want!
So, be grateful for what you’ve got, it is a gift, and you must share it.
In the sharing of it, that is your power. Even your superpower, and all the above benefits can be yours.
But you’ll never know what it is if the fear of what others may think keeps you from keeping The Promise.
3 Responses
Love it Jason. Your amazing faces have brought joy to me and my family on many occasions. I love the fact that you share your talents, have fun doing it, and encourage others to find and share theirs. That willingness to share, invite, and inspire is as much a part of your signature moves as your faces are. Keep up the great work.
Ahhhh Brother Randy. You are truly so very kind my friend. That is certainly your Signature Move, and it inspires me as well. Thank you my brother.
The signature move idea lands because it is about permission rather than talent — the faces work because you are visibly willing to be the first one to look silly, and the room relaxes behind you. I see the same thing at receptions: the speaker who is slightly undignified early almost always gets a warmer room than the one who stays polished throughout. It is the single hardest thing to convince a nervous speaker of, and we keep coming back to it at WeddingSpeech. Great post.