May 15, 2023

 by Ryan Webb

I watched a comedy special on Netflix the other day.

The comedian was performing to thousands of people in a giant venue.

Midway through the show, some idiot on the cheap seats started yelling about something that the comedian said.

Apparently it was something he took issue with, so he decided to take the opportunity to interrupt the performer and tell him how he felt.

The comedian took a second, laughed, then started trading barbs with this person.

Now, if you’ve ever witnessed something like this happen, you’re aware that this poor moron in the back took a knife to a gunfight.

Comedians spend all day, every day, crafting jokes and finding ways to make fun of things, so within a few exchanges, the heckler was embarrassed into silence and the show went on.

But imagine for a second, if it didn’t.

Imagine that when hearing the person in the back, the performer chose to focus on that voice rather than the thousands of other people who were doubled over in laughter and having the time of their lives.

Imagine that, when hearing that voice, rather than confidently carrying on, the performer stopped the show, hung his head, went home and quit comedy forever.

Imagine that performer is you.

Imagine the performance is one of your new goals and endeavors that you’re chasing and know you want to dedicate more time and resources to.

Imagine the audience is the mass of supportive friends and peers that you’ve got in your life, who are excitedly rooting you on.

Imagine that heckler is that person in your life who doesn’t support you, who passively derides your efforts, or who takes the first opportunity when a joke doesn’t land to say “see!” (All while saying they are doing it for your own good and usually from the seat they got for free because they’re your “friend”).

Are you going to hang your head and hang it up?

Or are you going to ignore it, keep going and focus on people clapping the loudest?

I know what I think you should do.