Imposter Syndrome

Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a concept describing individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud".
This is the definition of what I am going through at this moment in time.

 

 

What keeps us from believing in ourselves?  I have recently read that celebrities such as Tom Hanks, Tina Fey and Ryan Reynolds have talked about their own shortcomings and difficulties believing that they are as talented as other people tell them they are.  That is mind boggling.  I admire and enjoy the work that these people do.  How can they not know how great they are?!?  How can none of us know how great we are? 

I get complements all the time.  I am told that I am a good artist, writer and person more times than I am told I suck.  But, for some reason, I don’t believe it. That part of my brain that should be happy about receiving these complements shoves those accolades aside and whispers negatives in my ear instead.  Why does this happen?  Over 60% of us experience this “syndrome” at some point in their career.  So that should make anyone afflicted feel better.  We are not alone.  It happens to most of us. 





 

So what do we have to do to get past this ill-conceived belief that we are failures?  Here’s the truth.  You are never going to be anyone but yourself.  You are who you are and the people who know you or the people you meet will likely be honest with you when it comes to your skills and accomplishments.  Most of us subscribe to the old adage, “If you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all.”  That means, if someone tells you that you are doing a nice job then you probably are.  Does that mean you have to be good at everything that comes at you?  No.  And it is not a bad thing to ask for help.  I ask for help all the time.  (For those that have helped me in the past or future I want to take this moment to thank you so much.  You are appreciated and are the “bomb”.)

 

 

So take the word from the biggest imposter I know.  “You're Good Enough, You're Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like You”  S. Smalley  Believe in yourself.  I believe in you.