Hard Truth: We Created the Imposter
Summary: Everyone experiences Imposter feelings. These feelings reveal our relationship with ourselves and serve as a signal when we’re evolving into our next level. To work through Imposter feelings, recognizing them and taking action are the easiest steps to overcome them.
“I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.”
Our doubts, self-talk, and imposter feelings reflect our relationship with ourselves.
When life, career and health are going well, we can experience suffering. Case in point - when we experience imposter feelings.
Imposter Feelings
As over-thinkers, we're experts at analyzing every detail. We don’t realize how much time passes simmering on negative thoughts.
No wonder it’s easy to create powerful scary monsters like the Imposter.
Examples of Imposter
“I continue to fall into the pattern of negative self-talk, the belief that I’m not good enough, and the imposter syndrome is paralyzing at times.”
On what’s getting in the way of success: “My own fears about not being good enough”
Hard Truth
The Imposter is a story we create about ourself. Upon closer look, the imposter story comes out when we’re a Beginner, an Expert or a Saboteur. Read about Imposter Zones
We create the Imposter amid mental clutter and tangled stories of our fears and limiting beliefs. We feel tortured by our thoughts as the negative voice sometimes grows louder or stronger.
Can we ever stop second guessing ourselves?
Will we be strong enough someday to be alone with our thoughts?
The answer is YES!
Shifting from Imposter to Empowered
If you want to understand your Imposter, you start by moving the dialogue into the open for you and others to hear. Taking action disrupts the pattern of staying in your head.
I've seen countless clients transform by speaking their thoughts out loud or taking action to move forward. In one case in particular, the action step was private and enough to catch the negative talk to form a new habit!
A lot of people don’t realize that taking action can look like:
Thinking
Journaling/writing
Speaking to someone about it
Making a decision
Deciding which decision to make next
The next time you’re feeling Imposter thoughts, know that you created that feeling. You also can see it as the sign you need to shift into action to improve yourself. It might actually be a good thing. It shows you that you’re growing!
Enjoy the learning (you got this!)
