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Crush Self Doubt (and snort it)
75 Plays1 year ago
A big moment is coming. You've worked so hard to get here. Then that little voice pops into your head. "You're not good enough." How do you squash the negativity that precede a major release? Here's a few tips so you can ride the highs instead of getting annihilated by the lows.
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Find Alex:
Website: https://www.hoopercomedy.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hooperhairpuff/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/hooperhairpuff
https://www.facebook.com/alex.hooper.334/
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Transcript
Internal Criticism vs. Winter's Cold
00:00:01
Speaker
It's winter, everybody, and it is getting cold.
00:00:09
Speaker
But it will never be as cold outside as you are cold to yourself.
00:00:18
Speaker
Even if you are the chillest person in the world, you're still going to chill your soul with crushing self-doubt.
00:00:28
Speaker
Ooh.
00:00:29
Speaker
No one's an immune.
Career Milestone: Selling Out Hollywood Improv Lab
00:00:31
Speaker
And that's what we're talking about this week on Dirty Briefs, everyone.
00:00:36
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Because last night, I sold out the Hollywood Improv Lab, which was a big moment for me.
00:00:45
Speaker
I was running my special, and I did everything I could to sell this thing out.
00:00:51
Speaker
I texted friends.
00:00:53
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I shared it a bunch of times.
00:00:56
Speaker
I was adamant to get
00:00:58
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pack this club.
00:01:00
Speaker
And I did.
00:01:01
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And because of that, the show was stupendous.
00:01:06
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I was in a flow state.
00:01:07
Speaker
I was just shucking and jiving and just cruising from one bit to the next, cohesion at a maximum.
00:01:17
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And it made me so ready to film this special.
Turning Anxiety into Performance Energy
00:01:22
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But with any big project coming up, anxiety,
00:01:28
Speaker
is sure to creep in.
00:01:31
Speaker
That little voice is going to say, is this good enough?
00:01:35
Speaker
Because I think it sucks.
00:01:38
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Because you suck.
00:01:41
Speaker
Self-doubt is a scab.
00:01:44
Speaker
No matter how many times you pick it, it always grows back.
00:01:49
Speaker
But that's because we aren't supposed to tear off that hardened, crusty mess.
00:01:54
Speaker
We're supposed to let it heal.
00:01:58
Speaker
But if you're like me, you can't help but pick at a scab any time it comes up.
00:02:04
Speaker
And the truth is, I knew this voice was going to come in telling me, Alex, this special isn't good enough.
00:02:09
Speaker
You could work harder on it.
00:02:10
Speaker
The material just isn't there.
00:02:15
Speaker
But I knew this was going to happen.
00:02:18
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I knew it.
00:02:19
Speaker
And honestly, if that little voice didn't start screaming at me, I would be more concerned.
00:02:26
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Because I don't know how you operate, but I look at nerves as a good thing.
00:02:33
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Nerves transmute into positive energy.
00:02:38
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That's how I become electric on stage.
00:02:41
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The negativity and the nerves are what drive me to perform at my highest level.
00:02:48
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I don't ever want to become comfortable before I walk on stage.
00:02:55
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I want to be sitting in the corner looking at my notes going, God, this is going to be terrible.
00:03:00
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No one's going to like it.
00:03:01
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Once again, I am a fraud and everyone's going to know it.
00:03:08
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That's how I know I'm about to step on stage and do something amazing.
00:03:14
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Because all that feeling inside, the second I get up there, the fear turns into this energy that
00:03:24
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that then I push out of me onto the crowd and I can see it hit every individual person.
00:03:32
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And suddenly we are all in this bubble together.
00:03:36
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We are all coalescing into something more for that moment.
00:03:44
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That's why I like nerves.
00:03:46
Speaker
They are the kerosene that lights me on fire so I can burn as brightly as possible.
00:03:52
Speaker
And no, that's not why my eczema is always flared up.
00:03:55
Speaker
At least I don't think so.
00:03:58
Speaker
but I like big moments.
00:04:00
Speaker
I really like them.
00:04:01
Speaker
I try to tell myself this is when I should truly enjoy it.
00:04:06
Speaker
I remember standing and 2017, I did roast battle season two on comedy central.
00:04:13
Speaker
And I was waiting for the doors to open up, to walk onto that stage to battle.
00:04:19
Speaker
And I remember telling myself, Alex, I'm,
00:04:22
Speaker
This is what it's all for, for moments like this, for moments when you have worked so hard and the validation is coming.
00:04:33
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And now the cameras are on, the crowd is on fire.
00:04:38
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Everyone's ready for you to come out there and do what you do best.
00:04:43
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And I told myself, just smile and enjoy the moment.
00:04:48
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And I did.
00:04:49
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That's what I do every single time.
00:04:54
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Past evidence proves I will rise up.
00:04:57
Speaker
You want to crush self-doubt?
00:05:00
Speaker
Look at past evidence.
00:05:02
Speaker
Look at all the times you've been successful.
00:05:05
Speaker
There are so many occurrences where you have gone beyond yourself and gone past what you thought you could accomplish, but you did it.
00:05:14
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You did it.
00:05:16
Speaker
And look at those moments.
00:05:19
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This is a week because I'm doing something so large that I've been thinking about for a while.
Preparation for Filming a Comedy Special
00:05:25
Speaker
Filming a special that's going to be released to a mass audience.
00:05:29
Speaker
And I don't know where it's going to be released yet.
00:05:31
Speaker
That will come in time.
00:05:33
Speaker
But I need to surround myself with people who support me.
00:05:38
Speaker
I don't want to compare myself to others.
00:05:39
Speaker
I've been watching a lot of specials to try to see what I like and what I don't so I can put all the best parts into mine.
00:05:48
Speaker
But I'm not comparing myself.
00:05:50
Speaker
You can't because you're the only one that's you and you're the best you.
00:05:57
Speaker
You're also the worst you, but let's focus on the fact that you're the best you.
Confidence vs. Arrogance in Performance
00:06:03
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Confidence.
00:06:04
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It's not arrogance.
00:06:06
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It's confidence.
00:06:07
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And there is a huge difference because arrogance means you are into yourself and that you think you are absolutely better than everybody.
00:06:16
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That's not what I am.
00:06:18
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And I know that's not what you are, but confidence tells you yes, yes.
00:06:24
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I'm ready for this.
00:06:26
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I have done the work to get on, get out there and show people what I'm made of.
00:06:35
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Now, I feel very ready.
00:06:39
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I do.
00:06:40
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I've been all around the country.
00:06:44
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In 2023, working on my recovery, but at the same time working on putting together this material and forming it into a cohesive hour that is emotional, vulnerable, resilient, creative, unique, but most of all, hilarious.
00:07:05
Speaker
Last night.
00:07:07
Speaker
I was just in that state and I realized this is definitely the hour that I want to put out.
00:07:13
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So even though I'm going to have those moments of, Oh, but you could still make this better.
00:07:16
Speaker
You, what if you did this?
00:07:17
Speaker
What if you did this?
00:07:18
Speaker
What if you just waited a little bit longer?
00:07:21
Speaker
Well, sure, but that could last forever.
00:07:26
Speaker
And what do I say?
00:07:27
Speaker
Everybody create it, release it.
00:07:29
Speaker
Stop giving a fuck.
00:07:35
Speaker
That's what I need to tell myself because I know a special like this, a project like this will carry me to the next big moment.
00:07:47
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It will show people who I am at my core.
Stand-Up Comedy: Love and Societal Insights
00:07:51
Speaker
It will show people not only the comedian I am, not only the artist I am, but the human.
00:07:56
Speaker
I am because there's so much love in this special.
00:08:00
Speaker
And I think that's important in a standup special is I'm touching on societal points and I'm touching on your emotions and I'm obviously pressing your giggle button, smash, smash, smash, like, and subscribe.
00:08:13
Speaker
But most of all, I'm showing you the love that is inherent inside of me that I have learned to collect from everybody around me.
00:08:22
Speaker
And that includes you who are listening to this.
00:08:27
Speaker
Now, by the time you hear this episode, the special's been filmed.
00:08:33
Speaker
And I can tell you right now, I'm a few days away, but I know I crushed it.
00:08:40
Speaker
I was in my element up there.
00:08:42
Speaker
I'm going to walk.
00:08:43
Speaker
I walked out onto that stage confident as can be, and I delivered exactly the comedy that I wanted to.
00:08:55
Speaker
And when I walked off stage,
00:08:57
Speaker
Took a deep breath, deep gratitude for everything in my life, for my health, for my family, for my wife, for my friends, for the environment that we live in, for the crowd that was out there, for everything.
00:09:16
Speaker
I'm still here and I have a lot more to say.
00:09:21
Speaker
And when this special comes out, I can't wait for you all to see it.
00:09:26
Speaker
I really can't.
00:09:29
Speaker
This is going to be cool.
00:09:31
Speaker
It's going to be really cool.
00:09:33
Speaker
And I'm sure you're working on a project right now.
00:09:37
Speaker
I'm sure there's something that you want to achieve.
00:09:41
Speaker
And when that little voice comes in, that devil on your shoulder that tells you you're not good enough, crush it up, snort it back inside you and transmute it into something positive.
00:10:00
Speaker
because that self-doubt is always going to be there.
00:10:03
Speaker
But how you rise above it is your choice.
00:10:07
Speaker
That is up to you.
00:10:09
Speaker
And just know it's possible.
00:10:13
Speaker
You're enough and you deserve to be proud of what you're doing.
00:10:22
Speaker
Wow.
00:10:23
Speaker
I can't believe this.
00:10:24
Speaker
I mean, it feels crazy that I'm at this moment, but
00:10:31
Speaker
I worked hard to be here.
00:10:32
Speaker
I deserve it.
Growing Social Media Presence for Industry Support
00:10:34
Speaker
So go follow me on social media.
00:10:36
Speaker
If you're not already doing that, share a clip of mine that helps so much.
00:10:42
Speaker
I'm trying to build that following because it is important to a lot of clubs out there and a lot of the industry.
00:10:49
Speaker
And I think this special is going to break the mold and this is going to be what really shows people that I'm worth paying attention to.
00:10:58
Speaker
But I'm
00:10:59
Speaker
Got to do it for me.
00:11:00
Speaker
I'm doing it because I know this comedy will be an escape for everyone that sees it.
00:11:08
Speaker
And thank you for being here.
Gratitude and Encouragement to Listeners
00:11:11
Speaker
Genuinely thank you for being here.
00:11:14
Speaker
I'm going to add a lot more shows to my schedule soon.
00:11:21
Speaker
I just feel good.
00:11:24
Speaker
I feel really good, everybody.
00:11:26
Speaker
I love you so much and I hope you find a way to smile as hard as you can today.
00:11:35
Speaker
I'll see you next week.