I'm In Your Head

Hello, my love❤️! How are you doing today? I know it has been an awfully long time since I had a conversation with you. To be honest, I've wronged you by going back on my promise to always be here for you. Will you forgive me?

What do you think about Bob? You might be wondering: "Can't he see he's good enough? He just got told he's doing great. Why is he still so unsure of himself?" Funny enough, many people have admitted that they feel like Bob at some point in their career. There's even a name for it. It's called Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is that feeling of fear you get when someone asks you to undertake an important task. You know you can tackle it, but you're so scared you constantly have to remind yourself of all the reasons you can achieve that tasks. I wrote something about it here. 

If this sounds familiar, here's a reminder that it's all in your head. However, I believe many young people don't really talk about how it affects them mentally. Before having this conversation with you, I talked to some young people about their experience with imposter syndrome. I'll be sharing how they overcame it in hopes that this might help you take a bold step today.

The people I talked to are all driven young people who put in the work everyday and deserve all the things they've achieved. It struck me that it was their emotions playing tricks on them whenever they felt they weren't good enough. Sometimes, they almost let certain opportunities go because they didn't feel good enough to handle them. I'll use two stories. *L* constantly worried if she was good enough for a new job even though she had done many similar projects in the past.  *A* almost suffered a career setback because he thought he was inadequate. Yes, Imposter syndrome can be that bad.

Luckily enough, they all had one quality that helped them to conquer this feeling. Whether it was in the form of affirmations, or taking a leap of faith, or praying and studying Bible scriptures on confidence,or taking on projects they were scared of, that one quality was a constant for these people.

They were always willing to be courageous even in the face of fear. They reminded themselves that it was all in their head and faced that feeling head-on. Even though it was a mental struggle, the people in the 2 stories I mentioned sought for help and took bold steps to feel better. So if you're feeling scared or not good enough, it might be time to take a step back. Ask yourself: "What if I choose courage? What if I choose to be confident? What if I just keep doing my best even when I'm scared?" It certainly won't be easy but with practice, it's quite possible. 

You can even develop a system for yourself whenever you feel this way. You can pray, repeat words of affirmation, talk to someone that always encourages you or do that exact thing that's making you scared. Whenever I feel this way, I reread the love letter I wrote to myself months ago😂😂. Just do what makes you feel at peace and watch confidence take a front row seat in your life.

Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome? How did you cope with it? Share how you realized the feeling was all in your head. I can't wait for our next conversation!

With love,

Peperempe