You can’t stop people from hurling insults from the audience. Even when your audience is filled with people who are supposed to be loyal to you, like friends and family. No one escapes it. Everyone has to deal with other people’s opinions. Words sting and they stick around longer than a physical bruise or injury.
“Lisa Guerrero wasn’t sure she wanted to live anymore. After one season as a ‘Monday Night Football’ sideline reporter, she was fired. She was humiliated and clinically depressed...One day, months after her firing, she drove on the Pacific Coast Highway. Out of old habit, she mistakenly flipped on sports radio. The hosts cackled, reading a ‘Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’ column that ransacked her name, focusing on her looks and calling her ‘MNF’s biggest liability ever. She pulled over. ‘I considered killing myself,’ Guerrero told The Post.” How Lisa Guerrero overcame suicidal thoughts after ‘Monday Night Football’ humiliation
We don’t like you!
For Lisa Guerrero, the audience existed away from the football stadium, following her via radio as she drove in her car. Once their voices got inside her head, it was hard to focus on anything else.
This is true for everyone: Unless you connect to a strong support system, when you’re caught in this type of trap, you will feel isolated and alone. Fight to stay connected and avoid the traps people set for you.
Otherwise, the Collector will find you and drain your resources.
Advice from Your Cornerman: Agent September
The following spread using eight (8) cards from the DramaGuru Relationships deck illustrates the situation by (1) analyzing how the Audience (with their opinions) launched an attack and won (2) how the Collector successfully drained Lisa’s power (3) how to process what happened and (4) where to stand to recover and to regain strength.
Get to neutral. Make a new plan. Keep moving forward.
You will not win every battle. Especially if the audience is banding together and hurling insults. To move forward, you have to judo flip the situation by “kicking it to the curb” and releasing your resentment.
Give yourself permission to step away from the trap.
- Mouth Almighty Position: Words are like swords.
- Transition: Constant repetition weakens your defenses. Your opponent is setting you up for the attack.
- Friendly Fire Attack! Ugh! Nothing you do or say will change my mind about you. No winning here.
- The Collector: enjoying your shame, he’s laughing at you. Energy drain is easy now.
- Judo Flip or Jiu Jitsu Sweep: Time to block the Collector and regain your power. Fill up your emotional energy tanks.
You are not alone. Get some people on your side and in your corner. Connect to the main source of power. Stay away from the Collectors!
You can’t fight back against an audience or a group of people who have decided they don’t want you around. Move on. Live to fight another day.
This is a DramaGuru White Belt Case.
Source:
Stadium audience photo by Marcelo Cidrack on Unsplash
The game I call Demon Spotting developed over time as I worked through emotional entanglements and confusing break-ups. My misery became code words. Code words became mat drills. Mat drills became winning combinations. And my confusion lifted. Consider this your invitation to play. Clarity is freedom.