“Your life has inherent significance.”
I was driving to a lunch date with a fellow yoga teacher when these words pierced my soul while listening to one of my favorite audiobooks, What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey. I quickly opened the notes app on my phone and typed it on a blank page.
These words seeped into my core because for the past couple of years, I’ve doubted my power and worth as a yoga teacher and wellness professional. Just about every area of my life felt under attack and I lost focus on my WHY.
While doing some reading and noticing that my self-doubt was lingering in ways that caused me to dim my light, I realized these feelings of inadequacy were in alignment with what it means to have Imposter Syndrome.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
According to this Harvard Business Review article, Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite success. ‘Imposters’ suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.
They seem unable to internalize their accomplishments, however successful they are in their field. High achieving, highly successful people often suffer, so imposter syndrome doesn’t equate with low self-esteem or a lack of self-confidence. In fact, some researchers have linked it with perfectionism, especially in women and among academics.
How I’m Overcoming Imposter Syndrome…
Don’t believe the negative hype…you deserve to thrive at and enjoy living in your purpose. Every now and then you have to remember WHO YOU ARE. For some reason, we can see greatness in everyone except ourselves and that isn’t the recipe for peace of mind.
I’ve committed to doing these 3 things to help me stay connected to my purpose and my ability to thrive in it.
- Counter negative thoughts with positive ones, and magnify the good by focusing on the positive thoughts. What you focus on expands. When you have negative and/or fearful thoughts, counter them with a positive thought and do everything in your power to focus on the good thought. When we are hypervigilant about what could go wrong or what we lack, we give it life. Instead, let’s fuel the good possibilities by magnifying their potential. Give yourself grace when things don’t go as planned and know that delay and/or failure isn’t the be all end all. Learn from them and grow. Use these self-love mantras to help you along the way!
- Journal. Write down what you’re feeling. Write down the desires of your heart. Write down your action plan. Write down the positive outcomes of where you see your most elevated self. Repeat. Document your feelings and watch how therapeutic it is. Join my 7 Days of Positive Affirmations & Journaling challenge for a week of self-love and a mindset shift.
- Surround yourself with positive people. This sounds imple but having people who affirm you and hold you accountable is the gift that keeps on giving. It can be family, friends, mentors or a coach. These people are not meant to pacify you, but they also shouldn’t put you down. They are the people who will remind you of your why, remind you of your potential and also lovingly correct you when you are not living up to your full potential. Sometimes, we are so blinded by the stories we’ve made up in our heads that we forget just how amazing and deserving of joy that we are. Keep your support group nearby.
Your life has inherent significance.
Remember, your life has inherent significance. That means you don’t have to prove that you’re worthy. You don’t have to earn your worthiness. You already have it. It was destined for you, the moment you existed. Never forget that… you matter. Now revel in that truth and let all of that Imposter Syndrome sh*t go!
xo,
