Oh, hello there, Imposter Syndrome, my old friend – or should I say, frenemy? It’s time we had a chat, because frankly, you’ve been lying to us, and I’m here to call you out.
Welcome to “Your Imposter Is A Liar,” where we strip away the polite sugarcoating and get down to the nitty-gritty of your deceitful ways.
First off, let’s get one thing straight: You, dear Imposter Syndrome, are the ultimate con artist, the smooth-talking scammer whispering sweet nothings of doubt and fear into our ears.
“Who, me?” you say, batting your eyelashes innocently. Yes, you! You’ve convinced us we’re about as qualified as a toddler piloting a space shuttle. And guess what? We’ve been buying it hook, line, and sinker.
Remember the time you told us we’re not qualified for that job we’re doing? Or the one we’re thinking of applying for? “You don’t belong here,” you hiss, as we prepare our resumes, armed with qualifications and experiences that could probably build a small moon. Yet, according to you, we’re just glorified pretenders, waiting for someone to pull back the curtain and reveal our ‘true selves’ to the audience.
Newsflash: The only thing behind that curtain is your unconvincing act as the Wizard of Oz’s less successful cousin.
Oh, and let’s not forget your favorite hobby: comparison. “Look at them,” you whisper, pointing at our colleagues, “so much more accomplished, so much more capable.” Everyone else is running their race, dealing with their hurdles. Comparing our behind-the-scenes chaos with their highlight reel is like comparing a potato with a Picasso.
Related, how? Exactly!
You never stop either. A dab here, a sprinkle there, and voilà: we’re frozen, unable to move forward, scared to try anything new. “What if you fail?” you taunt. Well, what if we fly? What if we succeed? Ever thought of that? Failure is just a stepping stone, not a sinkhole. Time to retire your potion, liar. It’s past its expiration date.
Here’s the kicker, the antidote to your poison: Truth.
The truth is, we’re all making it up as we go along. Even the most polished, poised, and seemingly perfect among us have moments of doubt. They just don’t let those doubts dictate their lives. And neither should we.
So, dear readers, it’s time to arm ourselves with a hefty dose of reality. Your Imposter is a liar, a fraud with no power over us unless we give it. Let’s choose to laugh in the face of those lies, to challenge the deceit with our actions, and to embrace our perfectly imperfect selves.
Remember, every time Imposter Syndrome whispers, “You can’t,” reply with a grin, “Watch me.”
Let’s turn our doubts into fuel, our fears into fire.
Now, go forth and conquer, my fellow warriors of self-doubt. Your imposter doesn’t stand a chance!
#FailForward
Jacob Brown is a former NFL athlete turned transformational and motivational speaker with almost a decade of experience leading humans to overcome fear and fail forward in business, leadership and life.