Forty years in the game. Let that sink in.

That’s four decades of standing on stages, telling stories, making folks laugh ‘til they cry — and sometimes cryin’ myself when life hit back. But through it all, one thing stayed the same: laughter. It’s the one language that never needs translation. Whether I was in Cleveland, Los Angeles, or Detroit… when the crowd laughs, we all speak the same tongue.

See, laughter is universal. It’s healing. It’s humbling. It’s holy in its own way.

Every Laugh Came From a Lesson

Every story, every punchline — that’s life talkin’. The heartbreaks, the broke days, the times I was sleeping in my car — all of it became part of the act. That’s why I tell folks: don’t waste your pain. Use it. Let it sharpen you.

When you’ve been through enough storms, you stop worrying about getting wet — you just start dancing in the rain. And after 40 years, I can tell you, some of my biggest laughs came right after my toughest days.

Every Setback Came With a Punchline

You can’t do this long and not fail a few times. I’ve had deals fall through, shows get canceled, and doors close so loud they rattled my faith. But you know what I found out? God’s got a funny way of rerouting your path. Sometimes the punchline is just the proof that He was writing a better setup all along.

Every time I got knocked down, I learned to get up laughing — not because it didn’t hurt, but because I knew I wasn’t done.

Still Thankin’ God for the Gift 🙏🏾

You don’t last 40 years off talent alone. It takes grace. It takes favor. It takes a calling. God didn’t just give me the ability to make people laugh — He gave me a purpose. To bring joy, to bring light, to remind people that even in a dark world, you can still find something to smile about.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: when you make folks laugh, you give ‘em hope. You give ‘em a break from whatever they’re carryin’. And that’s a ministry in itself.

40 Years Later… Still Laughin’, Still Learnin’

I’m still evolving. Still learning new lessons. Still working on myself. And still thankin’ God for every single person who ever sat in a crowd, turned on a show, or shared a laugh with me.

If laughter is the soundtrack of life, then I’m grateful mine’s still playin’.

Here’s to 40 years — and to whoever needs a reason to smile today.

Keep laughin’. Keep learnin’. Keep thankin’ God.

#SteveHarvey40 #LaughterIsUniversal