Don't lack initiative
People tell me, "I want to be a writer." OK, then write. There's no trick. No one's gonna knock on your door and ask you to write. Just write, dummy. Put your 10,000 hours in (see: Malcolm Gladwell), and be undeniable.
Don't let defeat discourage you
I got fired from Saturday Night Live and fired from my next job, a sitcom, right after. It made me gun-shy. But I lived through it. I kept going. As Charlie Kaufman said: "Do not worry about failure. Failure is a badge of honor. It means you risked failure."
Do start reflecting
I do therapy. If therapy isn't your thing, then go to church or get a Pema Chödrön book for $9 on Audible—whatever you need to do to live an examined life. It'll make your life (and the lives of people around you) exponentially richer.
Be nice to yourself
I've caught myself feeling utter disgust looking at myself naked.. If we were half as nice to ourselves as we are to any f--king stranger on the street, we'd be winning.
Don't get cosmetic surgery
Aging is like a really slow-moving horror movie. When I see people with fillers or weirdo stretched-out faces, I'm like, You look crazy.
