More than funny | Michael Jr. | TEDxUniversityofNevada

like I was supposed to give him a chance to laugh. This changed everything. Because now I'm not looking to take; I'm simply looking for an opportunity to give. That's why we go to homeless shelters and these places. In fact, that same night, when I come off stage, I was outside, people wanted autographs, we were taking pictures, and I looked across the street and I saw a homeless man. I've never seen a homeless man outside this club before. But that doesn't mean he wasn't there before. That just means that before my mindset was to make people laugh, so why would I notice him?

But now I changed my way of thinking and I see this homeless man and I think, "What's wrong with him? How could I give him a chance to laugh?" And that's when we started creating homeless shelters and prisons and making laughter common in unusual places. So now, as a result of doing that, we went to this place, we went to Montrose, Colorado. It is an abuse center for children who were being abused by their parents. And I heard all these stories, and this grandmother told us about her grandson that she was very afraid of her mother, that she was on drugs and abused him.

One of the things she has been doing to her is pulling out her toenails. Then I heard this story and they brought all these kids inside. And Spiderman is sitting. This boy is so afraid of his mother that wherever he goes, he wears a Spiderman costume. He is sitting at the front of the show. If my mindset was still to make people laugh, there's no way I would have been able to do the show. But my way of thinking changed; So now I have to do the program. Then I go on stage and people start laughing slowly but surely.

Twenty minutes later, I hear a voice coming from right here and the voice says, "My name is Ronan." And this kid takes off his mask, introduces himself, and I can't even say what he meant to me. He started talking to me for about nine minutes, like he wasn't doing a comedy show at the time. (laughs) But it was all because I made this change, and I'll just say it, instead of trying to get it, I'm going to see if there's an opportunity to make this adjustment. , it will change your life for the better. If you are a mechanic, you may think that you are paid to repair vehicles, but if you can make this change, you will recognize that you help people get to their desired destination.

The alarm clock is over. My senses are that there are a lot of people out there still hitting the snooze button. Before it bounces - bounce means vacating the premises - (Laughter) I'd like to explain to you how life works, at least. From a comedian's perspective, first, there's a setup, and then there's a punchline: Your setup is your talents, your resources, and your opportunities. And most of the time, we use our settings to make sure the people around us are moving in a direction that serves us. Which means the punchline happens when you change that direction in a way they don't expect.

In fact, you use your settings for other people. The results are the same, but they are multiplied: revelation, fullness and joy. But it's not just for the person on the receiving end of your joke; it's absolutely for you when you tell the joke. In fact, if I ask the question of everyone here, everyone watching, if I ask this question: "How many people here know what their settings are?" Each of you could tell me. Because your setup is the fact that you have a house, you have a car, you've been married, you went to school. Your setup is all about what you have received.

But what if I asked the question, "What's your punchline?" Because your punchline is about what you are called to deliver and if you only know your setup and not your punchline, you will make the mistake of trying to add

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setup, “If only I could get another degree,” “if.” I could just get married," "if I could lose weight," but what you really need is to know your punchline. Because knowing your setup and not your punchline is an uncomfortable place to live. Let me give you an example. How many people are still thinking about story of the CEO and me on stage?

The reason why you all are still thinking about that story is because all you have is the setup, we don't have the punchline yet. We move on and let ourselves entertain ourselves as if something wasn't missing. So we go to a comedy show, or a football game, or a concert, even if something is missing. And that's just the story I told them for ten minutes. What about your story? Have you been living it all? your life, and if all you know is the setup, and not the punchline, you are living in an uncomfortable place. And please be clear just like when I struggled to read as a child, your setbacks are part of your setup for. that you can give the finishing touch that you are called to give.

Just like a slingshot, the further back you go, the farther you can go. But what are you going to aspire to? Everyone has a setup and everyone has a punchline. You need to find your punchline and convey it. I'm Michael Jr. I love you. (Applause) Thanks guys. Oh, you guys are amazing. Standing ovation! Thank you so much. Thanks thanks! (Applause) Get up, friend! You too! I'm just playing. Thank you. (Applause)