043 Victoria Jackson on laughter in tough times

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Can laughter in tough times keep you sane? Victoria Jackson definitely thinks so. This former Saturday Night Live cast member shares her story of rising through the ranks of comedy, finding out she has breast cancer, and about how laughter can help you get through anyting one day at a time.

Who is Victoria Jackson? Victoria Jackson is a comedian who spent six seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, performing on the same stage as cast members like Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, and Adam Sandler. As an actress, she has also had roles in films such as Family Business with Dustin Hoffman and The Pickup Artist with Robert Downey, Jr. Victoria appeared over 20 times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and is now working on a new reality show. Most impressively, Victoria is a breast cancer survivor, having finished her treatment just one year ago. Out of that experience she has written a book, Lavender Hair: 21 Devotions for Women with Breast Cancer.

For Victoria, learning that making people laugh could be a full time job was truly life-changing. She not only went on to make a career with her talent at making a joke, but she used her ability to find laughter in the tough times to help her beat cancer and live a life that helped to spread the Gospel — and now she is encouraging people everywhere to do the same.

Quotes:

“My faith was tested and I was happy to find that it was real.” — Victoria

“Saturday Night Live gave me a platform. And I’ve been trying to use it to spread the Gospel.” — Victoria

“If I live, I will be bolder, because I have touched death. And if I die, I get to see Jesus.” — Victoria

“Laughter is very important. God invented it, and it helped me so much.” — Victoria

“I learned God was enough. When it’s all stripped away, God is enough.” — Victoria

Action steps:

• When God send a suprise your way, it’s okay — and even good — to have an improv reaction to it.
• How can we look to encourage others when we are in a tough place? It might just be a way to help ourselves through it.
• It’s so easy to dismiss how faith takes a person from suffering to joy. Let’s not let these sort of stories to become commonplace in our hearts.
• Don’t let closed doors discourage you from moving forward with your bold idea. Don’t let it change your story or keep you from making progress on your passion.

Resources mentioned:

• Official website: victoriajackson.com
• Victoria Jackson on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
• Lavender Hair: 21 Devotions for Women with Breast Cancer by Victoria Jackson