My people my people! This article won’t be long because well, I don’t think I have all the answers, so I shall be reliant on your input in the comments!
Let’s get some definitions in here real quick: Imposter Syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as an “impostor”.
This article is going to focus on part A of this definition, as many of us may not readily relate to the “fear of exposure” part but boy are we many on the table of doubting one’s skills, talents and accomplishments!
Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m somewhat addicted to doing self-audits. It could be as minute as lying in bed just before sleeping and asking God if I was kind enough today whilst other days it could be total career overviews. You’d think that, as someone so in touch with her life’s progression, I’d be immune to imposter syndrome, sadly that isn’t the case and I too have “je breakfast” (Yoruba social media slang connoting that an issue has reached you too).
So once more, I am writing to you all as much as I’m writing to myself. Those amazing traits and skills that others see in you are as real as the air you breathe. It’s so natural to you when you breathe, that you don’t think about it – but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Your skills and talents are natural to you, so you may have gotten over the novelty – but someone just meeting/reading about you is floored by them – embrace the response, knowing that it’s totally deserved and you already live up to it.
You’ve got this!
Till next time,
Dr. ETP xo
