5 Life Lessons for Lawyers from Joan rivers

September 14, 2014 | Filed under: Legal Business | Author: Editor

 

Joan Rivers, a female comic died last Thursday September 4, 2014, following complications from a minor medical procedure that left her in cardiac arrest. Rivers was 81. Her death can offer some lessons for lawyers when it comes to perseverance and humor. Here are five things lawyers can learn from the way Rivers lived her life:

1. When Things Look Bad, Don’t Expect the Situation to Improve; You Need to Improve.

The life of a comic just starting out isn’t very glamorous; you’re always wondering when your next gig will be, where you’ll get your next paycheck.

2. Be Able to Make Fun of Yourself.

It’s no secret that Joan Rivers had a lot of plastic surgery over the years. Joan didn’t keep it a secret — and she didn’t sacrifice valuable comedy either. Some of her best jokes were about her own plastic surgery.

3. Sometimes You Have to Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking.

Joan Rivers was no stranger to controversy: She was criticized for her humor as well as her political statements and that’s not even counting all of the things she said while hosting various award shows and fashion-critique shows. Through it all, Rivers was never afraid to say exactly what she thought, and also never afraid to tell her critics what she thought of them.

4. You’ve Got to Keep Up With the Times.

Even in her 80s, Rivers embraced technology and with it, the new ways she could connect to people: “Because I’m on the Internet so much, I can answer any question and keep up with these young, smart, talented comics,” she told the Boston Globe last year. She also wasn’t afraid to change with the times. Even though she was pretty blue in her comedy, it wasn’t always that way.

5. Yes, You May Have to Deal With Suicide.

Lawyers can develop emotional problems and deal with them in the wrong ways. Joan Rivers knew about this: After the spectacular failure of her 1986 late-night talk show — which resulted in her not only being disowned by her good friend, Johnny Carson, but blacklisted by his successors — her husband, who produced the talk show, killed himself.