On My Mind

- Tiffany Haddish

You don’t have to look hard to find negativity in the world (in fact, these days, it seems easier than ever). But as someone who’s had more than a few dark moments in her own life, one of the things I’ve learned is how to get through seriously tough shit…and make it out the other end, smiling. I grew up in South Central Los Angeles, with a mother who was mentally unstable and often violent. I was in foster care and homeless at times, and later, I escaped an abusive marriage. When I think about a lot of what I’ve been through, it still hurts. But I have a philosophy I apply to everything I do in life: Most of the time, I’m just trying to have fun. Humor has helped me not only to survive but to thrive. Comedy gives me a place to talk about my painful stuff, to share it, and to do it in a way that helps out other people too.