Laughed Out of the Room: How Ridicule Silences Dreams and Paralyzes Power
By Virginia Underwood
I was in 5th grade when I announced, wide-eyed and sure,
“I’m going to be President someday.”
My father laughed.
Not playfully. Not kindly.
He laughed like it was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. Then he added,
“If that day ever comes, I’ll move to Canada.”
It was a joke to him. But to me—it was a wound.
Something in me collapsed.
When Laughter Isn't Funny
When a father laughs at your dream, it doesn’t land as a joke—it lands as rejection.
That kind of ridicule says:
Your ambition is absurd.
No one will take you seriously.
You're foolish for wanting more than what's offered.
I didn’t understand it then, but that moment took root in my nervous system.
It began to show up everywhere.
How Ridicule Freezes the Throat and Solar Plexus
The throat chakra governs expression. Truth. Self-advocacy.
The solar plexus holds our sense of power, will, and sovereignty.
When someone you love mocks your dream:
The solar plexus recoils. You begin to doubt your own authority. You may feel unworthy of leadership, afraid of being “too much.”
The throat shuts down. You question your voice before you speak. You edit, dim, and silence yourself to avoid embarrassment.
And so we become gifted women who know things, see things, dream things—but can’t seem to say them aloud.
Fear of Being Laughed Out of the Room
That fear never left me.
Every time I’ve dared to step forward—launch something, raise my prices, publish my words—there’s a voice whispering:
Who do you think you are?
They’re going to laugh at you.
You’ll be humiliated.
It’s not my voice.
It’s the echo of that moment at the kitchen table, age ten.
And all the ones that followed—where my accomplishments were ignored, my visions dismissed, my fire met with stone.
The Voice I Almost Forgot
But there was another voice.
I was told once that my grandfather—my mother’s father—believed in me.
That out of all his grandchildren, he said I had the most potential for success.
I didn’t know that when I was little. He died too soon for me to feel it from him directly.
But now, I realize… that belief lives in me too.
And I get to choose which voice I align with:
The one that laughed at me?
Or the one that saw something sacred and rising?
SOMATIC PRACTICE: Unlocking Your Voice and Power
This is for anyone who’s ever been laughed at, silenced, or made to feel foolish for dreaming.
Duration: 7–10 minutes
Intention: To reopen the throat and solar plexus, and release the freeze of ridicule.
1. Ground & Center
Sit or stand comfortably. Place your feet firmly on the ground.
Take 3 deep breaths. With each exhale, sigh out any pressure to perform.
Say softly:
“I am safe to be in my body. I am safe to speak and shine.”
2. Activate the Solar Plexus
Place your hands over your upper abdomen, just below your ribs.
Inhale into this space. Feel your breath fill your power center.
Then say:
“I reclaim my right to take up space.”
“I am allowed to want more.”
“I trust my vision.”
Visualize a warm golden light radiating outward, like a small sun pulsing from your core.
3. Open the Throat
Place one hand gently on your throat. Hum softly—feel the vibration under your palm.
Then speak aloud:
“My voice matters.”
“My truth is not up for ridicule.”
“I express myself fully, even if no one claps.”
Repeat a few times, louder each round.
If tears come, let them.
If laughter bubbles up, honor it.
You are releasing the freeze.
4. Shake + Sound
Stand up. Shake your hands. Shake your shoulders.
Let your body move how it wants.
Then make sound—any sound. A sigh, a roar, a chant, a laugh.
Let your body say what it never got to say.
“I am not here to be small.”
“I am not here to be silenced.”
“I am not here to be laughed at—I am here to lead.”
Completion
Return your hands to your heart and solar plexus.
Whisper:
“I remember who I am. I honor the one who believed in me.
I speak, I rise, I lead.”
Do this practice as often as needed—especially before visibility moments, launches, or creative expression.
