I'd like to hear similar stories not to confirm that everyone has made mistakes, but to hear what they did about the situation themselves that way history doesn't repeat itself.
In a word - Persistence
You simply keep on trudging through the muck, understanding that EVERYONE gets heckled, harassed and even slammed whether you're a performer or top rated engineer. You CANNOT Please them all and the ONLY PERSON you need to make proud of what you do is YOU! YOU are the only person that really matters when it comes to a career choice UNLESS you have obligations that concern people (and critters) that are dependent on you; when that factor comes into play you are obliged to do whatever it takes to pay the rent and take care of them all better than you take care of yourself (in most cases).
Assuming you don't have those obligations as of yet, then I'd have to say that you simply need to learn that big lesson every performer must learn -- hecklers are a part of our reality be it when on stage or a family reunion. To this day my parents loathe magic and the fact that "I never grew up"... I went from that $5.00 magic kit in 1963 to being partners with a man so as to create the largest single private collection of magic (mostly historic props) in the day (there's nothing like owning 5 or six different versions of one effect, such as the Asrah or a Sawing in Half... it's also nuts!)
After three decades of doing magic the ONLY words of pride I ever heard uttered from my father (and even that was 3rd person) was how proud he was when he saw the stuff we were working on at Creative Illusions and everything that went into designing magic. He never realized how much a person had to know to do the job or how tough the work was until that day.
I share this so that you can understand the fact that most folks simply can't relate to the idea of doing Magic or anything theatrical, as a vocation, it simply doesn't add up in their mind because we've been programmed to simply live a 9-5 grind, get married, have the 1.2 children (today's new standard) the dog & cat and all that goes with it... to hell with your "dreams", security and practicality are what's important.
But not for all of us... "Artists" see things differently and are willing to pay an exceptionally high, painful and sometime fatal price simply because WE HAVE TO DO IT... we are compelled to be in the thick of it which frequently blinds us and even binds us in ways that prevent us from doing anything other. It sounds odd but it is a condition many of us suffer from within the theatrical world or any aspect of "the arts" where creative expression is the key.
My only suggestion to you is to stop worrying about what others say. I know it's not easy; I've become an overly sensitive person in recent years so I tend to take affront to the least little thing that seems to be an 'attack" or "jab" towards me by anyone... it's not a healthy way to exist but sensitive people tend to either learn how to separate themselves and detach from "the world" and its opinions, or we suffer; frequently as the wolf with a foot caught in a trap and fighting for their life.
Just take a deep breath when the A-Holes of life get in your way, look at your own ambitions and the progress you are HONESTLY making (or not) and decide if you are going to allow them to control your destiny or if you'll not rent space in your head to them and instead, move progressively forward towards that destiny you've envisioned. If you don't listen to your heart and couple that passion with a modicum of logic (so as to understand that this is a business), then you'll never find the peace or level footing I believe you're after.
