It is essential that everyone become acquainted with his or her inner clown. In my acting class this week, we did some clowning. However, this was not at all what I thought of as a traditional clowning class. We would come up in pairs and say the worst insults we could think of to each other. Our teacher stressed that the most essential feature of a good clown is his or her refusal to let humiliation or insult keep them down. After the bead drops, the clown finds his or her way out of the negativity and has the grace to regain self esteem without becoming angry at or resentful of the person who put him or her down. I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, "no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Strange as it may seem, these words never rang more true for me than during clowning class! The strength also to not become angry and sink to a bully's level is also inspiring to me. Many times, I have allowed my energy level to rise to that of someone who was intentionally being spiteful or hurtful towards me. One challenge I am giving myself this month is to more consciously bring myself out of negative emotions or hurt I feel as a result of others' actions (intentional or unintentional).
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