Henny Youngman - If at first you don't succeed... so much for skydiving
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Welcome to The Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I’m your host, Andrew McGivern, for January 21st.
Now, did you know today is National One-Liner Day? It’s the perfect day to appreciate the power of a single, snappy sentence that can leave you laughing or thinking for hours.
Speaking of one-liners let’s get to today’s quote. It’s from the legendary comedian Henny Youngman, the “King of the One-Liners,” who once said:
“If at first you don’t succeed... so much for skydiving.”
Ah, classic Henny. It’s funny because it’s true. Skydiving is one of those activities where success really should be a one-and-done scenario. There is no coming back from failure...
But jokes aside, there’s wisdom tucked into that humor. Life is full of endeavors where failure is a natural part of the process—except maybe when 10 000 feet and gravity is involved.
Today is also, Thank Your Mentor Day, which ties nicely into January being National Mentoring Month. So, whether it’s a mentor’s sage advice or a comedian’s sharp punchline, today is all about wisdom delivered with brevity.
Mentors play a vital role here. They’re the ones who tell us, “Hey, maybe don’t start with skydiving. Let’s try something safer first, like knitting.”
On Thank Your Mentor Day, think about the people who’ve guided you—those who’ve helped you land safely in life, figuratively speaking. Maybe it was a teacher, a coach, or that wise friend who always had a one-liner that stuck with you. Something like:
“I told my doctor I broke my arm in two places. He told me to stop going to those places.”
Ok... I guess that one is a two liner but close enough.
It’s a funny quip, but also a reminder: good mentors steer you away from bad decisions—or bad locations.
So today, reach out and thank a mentor in your life. Send them a quick note, a thoughtful message, or even a one-liner to show your gratitude. Something simple like:
And if you don’t have a mentor yet, January is a great time to seek one out. Whether it’s a professional connection or someone you admire, the wisdom they can provide is worth more than gold—or at least a few good parachutes.
Before I go, let me leave you with this thought:
Life is a lot like a one-liner—it’s short, but you have to make it count.
I've actually gone skydiving three times. I did the instructor assisted deployment where you climb out of the plane and hang from the wing cross bar and when the instructor says let go... you let go.
The instructor holds your pilot chute and as you fall your main chute opens automatically - hopefully.
Later that type of skydiving was banned because if something goes wrong and the chute doesn't open a beginner doesn't have the composure to cut their chute and release the backup, despite 5 hours of training before the first jump.
By the third one I was pretty composed... but the first one, I was trying to swim back up to the plane.
Actually, maybe a mentor could have advised me not to do it... but actually there were several people saying we were crazy but we did it anyway.
And I don't regret it... so sometimes you have to just do it.
At the end of the day... you decide to take their advice or not.
Thanks for tuning in to The Daily Quote. I’ll see you tomorrow for another dose of inspiration—and maybe a laugh or two. Until then, take care, thank a mentor, and remember: if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again... unless it is skydiving.
And I'll see you tomorrow, same pod time, same pod station for another Daily Quote.