Yes Please

I like Amy Poehler. She and Tina Fey are two of my favorite Saturday Night Live writers and performers of all time. So, after reading (or rather listening to) Tina’s memoir, I thought it was only fair to read Amy’s as well. It too was made available to me electronically for FREE from my public library.
Amy offers some life lessons from where she stands at the middle of hers. In her mid-forties, she’s the divorced, sleep-deprived, working mother of two. Here’s some of what she’s learned.
1. Be kind. Don’t text anything you wouldn’t want the world to see. While she does drop a lot of names, if you’re looking for juicy, mean-girl gossip, you won’t find it here. Even her ex-husband is treated with kindness and gratitude. Furthermore, Amy apologizes very publicly for an unintentional (on her part) hurt she caused some fine people with an SNL sketch she did years ago, demonstrating that it’s never too late to apologize. It takes a weight off your heart.
2. Find your tribe. Surround yourself with smart people so you can learn from them about the craft you are pursuing. Amy, like Tina, credits years of improv for helping her learn to collaborate. No one does it alone.

“Do work that you are proud of with your talented friends.”

3. Be brave. Failure isn’t fatal. You will survive.
4. Decide what your currency is. Don’t fight it. Be true to you. Honor your innate and unique gifts by putting them to work.
5. Work hard. Amy credits her success to years of hard work and little bits of progress.

“You have to care about your work but not about the result.You have to care about how good you are and how good you feel, but not about how good people think you are or how good people think you look.”

6. Give back. Teach others and allow them to have what you have.

While the book is not hilarious, it is humorous and touching and honest with some unexpected wisdom and a reminder that kindness counts, even in show business.