What's worse; failing at something, or being mocked for trying to attempt? Now you stand at the edge of doing something fresh, something that’s meaningful, and suddenly that little voice inside you, tends to whisper, "What if you become the joke of the day? What if you stumble on the stage, forget lines, you mispronounce something? - They all will be laughing at you!" Pretty ironic, aren't it? Imagine a fabricated minutest possibility as small as it may seem, of something going wrong and people laughing on us, can actually hold us back from pursuing what it is that we really want. Something that we know we can do well. Now here's something to think about: what if that laughter is just part of the ride? A small pebble on the road during a fabulous journey.
Picture this: you are in a crowded room, and the spotlight is focused directly onto you. Everyone is watching and waiting for you to start speaking. You've prepared yourself to take that dreaded step, you’ve well prepared yourself for. But now there is a moment of pause. Your heart is pounding, your palms are wet. But for one fraction of a second, this comes into your mind: "What if I fail? What if they all laugh at me?" That's where you make your choice and, more often than not, take the more familiar way out and slink back into the shadows.
But let’s say what if you didn't?
What would happen if you stood your ground and accepted the chances of being laughed at?
Let me tell you a story. There was this boy afraid speaking out in the public. His worst nightmare wasn't forgetting his lines or saying the wrong thing; it was that people would actually laugh at him. One day, he had to speak in front of a whole class. And, as fate will always determine for a man, he blurted out his words in a rather embarrassing way. The whole room roared with laughter. For a second, he stood there transfixed, feeling he was going down the drown in the pool of his own shame - his worst nightmare, but then out of nowhere, something extraordinary happened: he smiled. Smile grew into laughter. He laughed with them. And in that burst of laughter, he came to a realisation so profound that he would never forget it ever: their laughter didn't hurt; in fact, it freed him.
It made him realise that showing up despite being afraid of being laughed at, is way more powerful than never showing up at all. It's not the laughter that defines you—it's how you show up in spite of it. That's was a major shift in thinking. Fear of being laughed at only has power if we let it, if we allow it to stop us, if we resist it. What if, instead of letting that fear shrink us, we used it as fuel and ignite our speech with passion? Every time one laughs, it's a sign that what you are doing is bold, something others perhaps wouldn't dare to try. That's why they laugh - it makes them feel good about themselves for not trying.
It's a sign you're stepping out of your comfort zone—and that is where you choose growth over monotony, over stagnancy.
Can you think of any other thing that you didn’t do because of the fear of being judged, criticised or, mocked? GOD knows how many chances we miss out on, because of the infamous *what will they say about this? The truth is, though, laughter eventually fades away; people forget, and they walk away. But what you walk away with, is far more precious. The feeling of standing up, presenting yourself in spite of all that fear—that builds you. It just gets stronger with each passing experience.
Someone laughing at us, is just the noise. It is transitory. Showing up, however, is a choice - it's a decision you take for how you want your life to be. It is that courageous act, of letting yourself be seen, to be vulnerable, stepping toward your dreams in spite of what anyone thinks of that.
The next time you are holding back because you fear being criticised or judged, pause! Ask yourself: "Am I going to let their opinions outweigh my desire to succeed?" Show up and laugh if you have to, but don't ever stop showing up.
Being laughed at is not that bad, its inevitable in life at some point - but choosing to stand your ground makes your character Truly, showing up is the real victory.
Remember, when next time someone laughs, you'll smile back, knowing in your heart, you're onto something great.
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