Mastering Resilience: Turning Mockery into Strength – Lessons from Mario Balotelli and Dani Alves

How do you react when people mock you or try to pull you down?

At times people remind you of your peers who are on top to make you feel guilty for the strings of failures in your earthly journey or use your weak points against you. Easy my guy! Take no notice of them for they know no better. Besides, for every of your mate on top, there are scores beneath you and below societal ladder.

You have no control over how people see you, what they think of you or how they treat you. But to keep your sanity, you alone has the shock absorber to take absolute control of how you react to mockeries from people.

A classic example of how to have control over your reaction was how Mario Balotelli reacted to the monkey banana and racial slurs. In 2019, he was almost walking off the pitch in reaction to racial slants and slurs from a segment of the crowd. It was his co-players that restrained him. If he had left, the mockers would have won.

Fastrack to 2022 (facebook..com), he reacted differently by simply saying, “I have nothing against monkeys because I am completely sure that a monkey is smarter than a racist.”

In 2014, a racist Villareal fan threw banana at Dani Alves on the field of play against Barcelona. He did not face the crowd to yell or sulk because such reactions would have made the banana thrower a victor. What did Alves do? Classically, picked up the banana thrown at him and ate part of it (Independent.co.uk.) The world applauded him and the chant against racism became intense.

So, what are you passing through in the hands of people that is keeping you low?

Relax and move on because nobody can destroy your inner peace without your permission. Nobody can make make you unhappy, except you approve of it. Nobody can take your smiles away except you condescend to it, and no one can take your joy from you, except you say, “YES”

Grace and peace!!!