Is Imposter Syndrome Affecting Your Passion?

Is Imposter Syndrome Affecting Your Dream for what you want in this life?

I shared this recently on my Facebook and Instagram page and it sparked quite a bit of interest and conversation. Here’s what I said in my post,

Y’all, this is how I feel about all the ideas around and in my brain right now… I have so many and I’m so excited about them!

BUT, I’m finding that I don’t have enough time to put into them OR I just second-guess the idea and put it off. 

Y’all, what is about creatives and entrepreneurs? I’m reading more and more about this thing called imposter syndrome and it’s real!

Anyone else struggle with this? How do you overcome it and what methods do you use?

A Case of the Imposter Syndrome is Legit

Wikipedia’s definition is this… ” (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.”

Speaker and expert Valerie Young, author of  The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It says,

“While the impostor syndrome is not unique to women, women are more apt to agonize over tiny mistakes, see even constructive criticism as evi­dence of their shortcomings, and chalk up their accomplishments to luck rather than skill. They often unconsciously overcompensate with crippling perfec­tionism, over preparation, maintaining a lower pro­file, withholding their talents and opinions, or never finishing important projects.”

Ugh… hello! I’m over here raising my hand big time y’all. I feel like this has described who I was for so many years of my life. But there is so much freedom in knowing that it’s not just me, that it’s a common occurrence for so many other women.

Valerie has found that there are five subgroups to this common experience…

  1. The Perfectionist
  2. The Superwoman/man
  3. The Natural Genius
  4. The Rugged Individualist
  5. The Expert

In an article The Five Types Of Impostor Syndrome And How To Beat Them by Fast Company, they say,

“…studies suggest 70% of people experience impostor syndrome at some point in their career.”

In Yes, Impostor Syndrome Is Real. Here’s How to Deal With It, Time says, “One of the first steps to overcoming impostor feelings is to acknowledge the thoughts and put them in perspective. You can also reframe your thoughts. ”

If this resonates with you and your raising your hand alongside me but aren’t sure, you can take this quick quiz from NY Mag right here.

Let’s get down to the bottom of what’s stopping us from fully pursuing our passion.

It’s time we become aware so we can change how we think and start making our dreams the reality that they can be! You got this!

And remember this my sweet creative friend…

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

You are a masterpiece. In this scripture, masterpiece also means “the best of the best”!

I mean how much more beautiful and affirming can that be.

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