Recently, The Practical Girlfriend told me that she was listening to some stand-up done by Jeff Foxworthy and thought he was hilarious. This was great news to me: Foxworthy ranks pretty high on my list of favorite stand-up comedians (that list also includes Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld). So the past few days, we’ve been listening to some of Foxworthy’s best stuff and laughing our butts off. It actually struck me that Jeff Foxworthy, while known for being a one-trick pony (“You Might Be A Redneck…”), is actually incredibly versatile, and he has employed some great strategies to stay successful all these years.

Get good at something, and establish a strong foundation

If your dog and your wallet are both on a chain… you might be a redneck.

If your dad walked you to class because you were in the same grade… you might be a redneck.

If somebody yells “HOEDOWN!” and your girlfriend hits the floor… you might be a redneck.

The Redneck jokes are what Foxworthy is most known for. If you ever hear his later live albums, the crowd goes insane when he starts going into them. The thing is: they’re funny to a lot of people, myself included. He clearly tries to make them very funny, and he has never seemed bothered by the idea that they are his staple. In my opinion, he’s got a lot of other bits that blow his Redneck stuff out of the water, but if you know you’re good at something, use that to establish a foundation in your life. Get better at it every chance you get. Then you can branch out to do other things. One step at a time!

Put a little of yourself into your work

[on his vasectomy] The procedure’s not too bad – the worst part is, they stuff the front of your pants with about 40 pounds of gauze. Walking from the doctor’s office to my car, I was invited to three proms! “Leave me alone, my wife’s waitin’ on me!”

Sure, the idea of a businessman being cold and all about business is appealing. After all, it’s not much of a challenge. But the truly happy know how to get personal with the people in their life. Be honest and upfront with them. Establishing that trust is the key to success in life. Stop holding back from your friends and family and allow yourself to communicate openly with them.

Diversify your life

[on his sitcom] They originally set it in Bloomington, Indiana because they didn’t want the show to be “too Southern”, and I’m like, “Have any y’all listened to the way I talk?”

He’s written books. He’s released DVDs. He had a sitcom. Heck, he even has his own beef jerky:

Jeff Foxworthy doesn’t just make money running around doing Redneck jokes. He has done a host of different things, most recently being the host of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. Foxworthy takes risks, and they don’t always pan out (Blue Collar TV, anyone?). But he’s out there, always attempting to find greater and greater success in his life. It’s smart, and it ensures a little more happiness in his life. For us, that means learning a new instrument, taking up a sport, reading a new book, or making new friends. Trying new things is one of the great joys of life.

Have fun with your family, but respect them

[on taking his family to Hawaii via airplane] They’re my family, I love them, they just don’t get out much. When we got on the plane, I asked my mom, “Mom, would you like to sit next to the window?” She said, “Oh, I better not, I just got my hair fixed.”

My family is known for making fun of each other. It’s what we do. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But make sure that you (and they) know that you love them first and foremost. Respect your family, regardless of how much they might drive you crazy. Foster a strong relationship with them, and be there for them, and they will be there for you when you need help and support.

Give yourself a break – don’t take yourself so seriously!

[when accidentally giving a sperm sample instead of a urine sample at the fertility clinic] I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life! And my wife told eeeeeeeeverybody! My own mother walks up to me and says, “Heard what you did in the cuuuupp!"

We all have embarrassing moments. We all screw up. We all look like idiots. Laugh about it already. Life is so much easier to go through when you’ve got a smile on your face. Stop being so glum and down. Pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, laugh at what happened, and move on.

Be proud of who you are

Country music is about new love and it’s about old love. It’s about gettin’ drunk and gettin’ sober. It’s about leavin’ and it’s about comin’ home. It’s real music sung by real people for real people, the people that make up the backbone of this country. You can call us rednecks if you want. We’re not offended, ’cause we know what we’re all about. We get up and go to work, we get up and go to church, and we get up and go to war when necessary.

Foxworthy said the above statement at the 2007 CMT Awards. He’s not ashamed of being a “redneck”. He is proud of who he is and who his family and friends are. If you’re not proud of that, you need to make some changes in your life – now.

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