Ever have just a rough day where your inner-saboteur just won’t let up? Like you feel as though your confidence hit an iceberg in the Atlantic and it’s just doomed to sink?
I’m having one of those days now.
Sooo, I wrote a comedy skit to make me feel better. Inspired by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, here’s my attempt at an uplifting funny scene to spot that self-saboteur and stop flooring the pedal in your ship (I know that is not correct boat-lingo and that there was no gas pedal in the Titanic. I’m a creativity captain, not a sea captain):
And ACTION!
(Fade in to Amy and Tina sitting on a couch, sipping on drinks. In the background, kids run around like in a generic mom scene.)
Amy: Hey, Tina, you ever hear that little voice in your head that tells you you’re not good enough? Like an imaginary saboteur?
Tina: Oh, you mean the one that says, “Who do you think you are, Tina Fey? You’re not that funny, and you’re not that smart.”
Amy: (laughs) Yes, that one!
Tina: Yeah, I know that little jerk. It’s like having a heckler in your own brain.
Amy: Totally! And it’s always there, yapping away, telling you you’re not worthy, not talented, not lovable, blah, blah, blah.
(Tina stops to pour some vodka into her drink. She offers it to Amy, who takes the flask from Tina and pours the whole thing into her own drink.)
Tina: Well, here’s what we can do. First, we need to give that little jerk a name. How about… I don’t know, “Larry”?
Amy: (laughs) Okay, Larry it is. So, what do we do about that jerk-face Larry?
Tina: Well, the first step is to recognize when Larry is talking. You know, like when you’re about to go on stage and Larry is like, “Nobody wants to hear your grating voice.”
Amy: Oh, yeah, I hate that guy. But then what?
Tina: Then, we need to shut Larry up. We can reframe his negative talk into something positive and empowering.
Amy: Like what?
Tina: Like instead of “No one wants to hear your stupid ugly voice,” we can say, “My voice is unique and valuable, and I have something important to say.”
Amy: (nods) I like that. What else?
(Tina pauses to tell a random kid to go get her teenage son for food.)
Tina: We need to practice self-compassion. We’re often our own worst critics, so we need to treat ourselves with kindness and understanding.
Amy: Yeah, I could use some of that. The vodka sure if helping too!
Tina: And lastly, we need to surround ourselves with positive people who believe in us and encourage us to pursue our dreams.
Amy: You mean like you, Tina?
Tina: (smiles) Of course, Amy! We gotta stick together and shut up Larry once and for all!
(They high-five. A teenage boy stomps into the scene and starts angrily muttering to Tina.)
Teenager: MoooOoom. I told you to not bother me! You don’t get it. I don’t cARe what you say, even if you send one of these stupid little brats to tell me.
(The teenager storms away.)
Tina: (frowns) You remember my oldest son, right? Little angel.
Amy: Oh yeah, what’s his name again?
Tina: (crosses her arms) …Larry.
(Tina and Amy grimace at each other as the audience laughs. Fade out.)
Ahh, I feel much better! Like how Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet feel on payday (probably). If you are ever in the middle of a sinking day due to your inner-saboteur and want to shut up that little jerk in your head:
- Give the jerk-face a name.
- Recognize when he’s talking.
- Reframe his negative talk.
- Practice self-compassion.
- Surround yourself with positive people.
Thanks for reading, and remember, you’re awesome!
For anyone who didn’t get the Titanic stuff at the beginning, here’s a Wikipedia page for it (you beautiful nerd).