In the fall issue of Inspiring Lives Magazine, my friend Kristie Knights (a therapist in the Pittsburgh, Pa. area) talked about impostor syndrome. I’m sure we’ve all felt it before, though we didn’t necessarily know what it was. Basically, it’s when you feel like you don’t really know what you’re doing, even though you are in a high position or you have earned honors for your work or you have other indicators that should be telling you that you’ve made it. You consider the awards to be flukes. You think that you lucked into your position. You feel like your success wasn’t deserved.
Sound familiar? It’s a feeling that can keep you thinking small. You might be afraid that others will spot you as a fake. How long before they ask the right question and realize that you have no clue what you’re doing? I don’t like to admit that I felt that way for years about my books and my job. Working for myself, though, and finally pushing forward with selling my books this year has helped me regain some confidence and own where I am in my writing journey.
In the article, Kristie covers six indications that you feel like an impostor:
- Focusing on failures instead of accomplishments
- Thinking you are sought out only for basic tasks
- Thinking something must be difficult to be worth doing it
- Thinking what you do will never be good enough
- Focusing on fear rather than imagining success
- Feeling so deeply that you can’t focus on the task
You might not have all of these, but if you have any, you may not feel like the expert or the inspiring voice that you truly are. And if the voice in your head has been whispering about writing a book to show the world what you know, you might lack the confidence to follow through.
So it’s time to realign your thoughts. You are enough. Right now.
What have you accomplished on your journey? This is what you will need to talk about. You might touch on what you learned from your failures. You might mention how you stumbled on your path; we all do. But focusing on the negative won’t bring you any gain: no inspiring story, no words of wisdom, and no readership. No one wants to hear about how nothing goes right for you because they want hope. If they are struggling with endometriosis or learning with ADHD or how to grow a healthy, plentiful garden, they need to know that someone has experienced those struggles, too, AND come through it to reap the fruits (or veggies!) of success.
My History of Crazy Thoughts on this Topic
For a long time, I thought intelligence was a gradient and that arts required a lesser sort of intelligence than sciences. If it wasn’t “brain surgery” or “rocket science,” then it must not be hard. So I had to major in a science (I picked biology) to prove I was smart. Huh? I did it, and I hated it. I was good at sciences (and I still find them interesting!), but I excelled at the arts. I loved reading, writing, dancing, drawing, singing, crafting, language, or any sort of creative work. But it wasn’t science, so I thought it was all hobby. And because it was easy to me, I thought it wasn’t worth wasting my time on it.
Again, this year, I was smacked in the face with a realization: not everyone can write. Some people think writing is hard. They have no idea how to develop a manuscript or an article or a polished sentence. For years, people asked me to “work your magic” on written works. Really. I thought they were being ridiculous. It’s so easy. Why can’t everyone do this?
Newsflash: we aren’t all good at the same things. I wouldn’t have a clue how to design a bridge or make a three-point shot in basketball or crochet a sweater or install a pacemaker, and I bet people all over the world who do know how to do those things look at my craft in awe.
Humans present a variety of talents worldwide, and someone out there is waiting for you to talk about yours. They are clueless about how to play bagpipes, install a garbage disposal, backpack across Europe, learn Mandarin, work with birds, or perform lifesaving CPR. You are an expert at some level of something, so don’t doubt yourself. It doesn’t have to be rocket science. Remember that rocket scientists aren’t good at everything either. They aren’t the peak of human intelligence. They excel in science, whereas you may excel in some other area.
So now that you are owning your expertise, it’s time to write a book to inspire and educate your followers. That might be tricky, if you aren’t sure about the process. Send me a message if you’re struggling.