Laura

Imposter Syndrome

Daily writing prompt
If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?
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This is actually a post I’ve been wanting to write for some time, and well…this prompt fits better than any for this particular topic.

Who is she? Ugh, not her again lol 😆

How often do we want to be someone else?

Do we look at others often and say, “I wish I could be like, have, or whatever (fill in the blank) how they do/are?”

Of course, when I’d like to take a break from writing, things start coming to me. I’m full of opposing actions, always (blame the duality).

And it is so annoying at times.

When I say I’m going to forget about something, it comes raging to the forefront of my mind, and slams itself down right in front of my face.

Ah, the universe and all its trickery.

So, are you familiar at all with imposter syndrome? Perhaps you are, but if not, it probably sounds just like what you’re thinking.

Maybe.

We’ve all experienced imposter syndrome at one time or another.

And your girl is here to make you feel all uncomfortable about it. You’re welcome. 😃

“I’m not really that great enough to be x, y, z. I just got lucky.”

Imposter syndrome is the feeling of being inadequate, or lacking in competency regarding certain things (could be your job, social interactions, important skills you hope to improve, achievements you’re seeking) when there is evidence to the contrary.

So for instance – if I say I am a terrible writer, and I am hyper-critical of my writing and maybe I think only other people like my writing out of pity or because we are friends, that could be my very own imposter syndrome talking.

To the outsider’s perspective, however, I may be a great writer.

Imposter syndrome in real life scenarios

But it’s that bit of distorted thinking that plays into our minds.

This causes people to feel like they’re frauds, and their anxiety level is to the highest peak, when really they’re actually way more successful than they perceive.

This plays into our own self-love and awareness of who we truly are, and how well our performance really is of said tasks.

It can also lead to self-sabotaging some really great endeavors or relationships in our lives, because we perceive ourselves as not good enough.

What else do we know about cycles? They repeat, over and over, until you finally heal from them

Imposter syndrome apparently is characterized by perfectionism, paralysis, people-pleasing, and procrastination. That’s a lot of P words, dang. 🙄

Perfectionism? This leads to you being a micro-manager – nit-picking every tiny detail. Yuck.

Paralysis? You’re a rabbit in the headlights, and on top of it, you blame others for your lack of action. Sheesh.

People-pleaser? Walk all over me, please!You’re the master of keeping the peace…in your dreams!

Don’t even get me started on procrastination… like doing busy work to avoid real life, or like me saying “I’ll just take care of all these little things”…but later! Blah!

My imposter type is I like to dress up in AI style filters and pretend I’m someone else 😂

I can tell you what I’ve learned about re-framing our thought process as it relates to overcoming something like imposter syndrome (a little Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for you, and here you don’t have the pay the hefty price tag!) but the thing is, it takes awhile for us to reprogram our thoughts to recognize when we’re slipping into our own self-destructive behavior.

So, you recognize you may have a touch of imposter syndrome. How do you start to overcome it?

Focus on the efforts of your actual, tangential successes.

What?

Yeah, exactly.

Because this post is already becoming long enough, and people love images more than yammering, anyways

In order to reframe your perspective, you have to recognize and reframe the negative thought patterns and reshape them into a different mindset.

Sound complicated?

It can be. But it doesn’t have to be impossible. Take each day to recognize your own success, no matter how big or small. Negative self-talk is detrimental to your mind, body, and soul.

Imposter syndrome is important to me, but I’m starting to feel a bit like a PowerPoint presentation which is not how I want to sound at all

Recognition is always the first step.

And surely, don’t ever forget – there are true imposters out there. Ones who write things that they believe are insightful, when really they haven’t a clue. People who seek validation and interject themselves in any conversation, any situation, and everywhere, because they are so highly insecure they need constant attention.

Oh yes, it can go the other way too.

People who present themselves as empathic, caring, honest, true, and kind individuals, but really have their own sneaky agenda.

If you feel called out, well, perhaps you need to do your own inner work. 😉

It’s out there, folks. I guarantee it.

(The real imposters reading this will never recognize I’m speaking of them. One blog post won’t do it – it’ll take years of work).

And healing.

Because that’s something we all need, right?

A post with a bit of yammering.

Happy Thursday!

84 comments

  1. It sounds like perhaps something I am guilty of, but I truly enjoy the feeling of being inadequate. Perhaps it is fright of falling into pride that my self-deprecating behavior stems from. But it doesn’t cause me to lash out at others, or anything like that.

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    • Thank you for sharing, however I do think pride and ego are a bit different in that they stem from other facets, but I do understand what you’re saying. Feeling badly doesn’t keep us humble, though. At least it doesn’t for me. I think we can still be proud of what we achieve in life while still having humility. 😊 it’s never a bad thing to recognize and celebrate your accomplishments

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      • I do a lot. Achieve a lot. But seldom look back upon my creations. I guess in a way I’m like a swimmer, in a pool. Always striving forwards, or suffering through the present moment. The trophies I leave behind me, I leave for others to ponder at.

        Following this train of thought, “feeling bad,” or inadequate, would be, to me, like the swimmer’s muscles burning. For me, it’s a good thing, and helps me reach new, “fastest times.”

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      • Ok, then I completely understand in some ways where you’re coming from, and thanks for sharing that. Sounds like this is what gives you motivation to strive better, and it’s awesome you compared it to the burn you feel when swimming because in that, or any exercise, you’re actually putting in the work and then know results are coming. Like that, awesome. 👏 👏 😊

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      • If you know anything about athletics, you’ll know that the coach is always the hardest on the star athlete. So I guess in this way I’ve learned, like you said, self-motivation.

        I may not have the body I’d like, but that’s a whole other story.

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  4. One time I used to give myself huge pressure to be perfect at what ever it was that I was doing at the time. I put this pressure in me for years. Yet, I wouldn’t have done that to aomeine else.

    I still have to watch myself on this, at times.

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    • I understand you very well! I know I don’t expect as much from others as I do from myself. For me, I’m the one who is always “just doing it” and not asking for help, but I’ve gotten a lot better at it as time goes on 😊 definitely, perfectionism can creep up on us and it’s something we need to watch and keep in check.

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  6. I read an article a few months back that had an interesting spin on this and actually encouraged one to lean into it, because to some degree, at some point, a lot of us truly are imposters. It obviously wasn’t quite thar simple, but the steps and thought process broken down actually made a lot of sense.
    Wish I had saved it, because it gave good ideas for working through it.

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  7. Thank you for sharing such a relatable and insightful post. Imposter syndrome is something I’ve struggled with and continue to face. For me, it’s deeply rooted in insecurity—not feeling good enough or measuring up to others. This struggle is one of the reasons I turned to Christianity and my faith. Shifting my focus from myself to the One who truly matters has been a transformative journey.

    Imposter syndrome can be incredibly isolating, making us feel like we’re the only ones experiencing these doubts. But the truth is, many people share these feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. By recognizing this, we can begin to break down the walls that imposter syndrome builds around us.

    My faith has been a cornerstone in overcoming these feelings. By placing my trust in something greater than myself, I’ve found a sense of peace and purpose. It’s a daily reminder that my worth isn’t defined by my achievements or how I compare to others, but by the unconditional love and acceptance from God.

    This shift in perspective helps me focus on my growth and contributions rather than my perceived shortcomings. It’s a journey of self-acceptance and grace, recognizing that we are all works in progress and that it’s okay to seek help and lean on our faith.

    To anyone else struggling with imposter syndrome, remember that you are not alone. Seek support from your community, whether it’s through faith, friends, or professional guidance. You are enough, and your value is not determined by external comparisons but by your inherent worth as a person.

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    • Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this. We all have our struggles, and faith and higher power most certainly plays a large part in helping to overcome that, too.

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    • Good post and a really relatable comment Willie! This is something I’ve been challenged with for some time. It takes a lot of effort to realise you have it, and even more to beat it.

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  8. Great post. Acknowledging your own accomplishments and being compassionate to yourself, difficult at times especially when there are others ready to overshadow what you did, hijack the discussion, etc.

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  10. So what would your new name be? ☺️

    Great post and a topic that certainly comes up in everyone’s life. In the end, we’re all doing the best we can with the cards we’ve been dealt. At the very least, let’s all try to reaffirm each other and appreciate what everyone has to offer.

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  11. Great post, Laura. The imposter syndrome cycle is interesting. I need to download that and read more about it. As for the one with the types, I might be all of them—except that I’m Superman. 😂

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    • Haha, glad you liked it! Thanks so much. I agree, I think I can be a little of all of them too, especially the solo one, doing everything myself and not asking for help. It can certainly be difficult and annoying. Haha, Superman! 😆

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  12. I absolutely love this post, and how you shine in it as an amazing healer of souls ❤ It sheds light on so many issues, and covers the patterns and strategies in our behavior that really need a lot of healing… And you're right, they'll never notice.
    I'm a neurotic perfectionist myself + I have a tendency to think that I'm always guilty when the world starts crumbling down, and take whole responsibility for that… And I also have a tendency to care about people, who'll never think of me. All these needs healing too…

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    • Awww you are too kind as always ❤️ yes I think we can all benefit from this at times, I dislike the inauthentic self so much at times, as I really feel it can harm us but I also get where “putting on a face” is simply a survival tactic, one that we all have to employ at times.
      We all struggle with perfectionism it seems. The most important part is not to allow that to harm you in ways that you can’t come back from. So much easier said than done at times 😊

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  13. Really you have a lot to share and we a lot to gain from, its a lengthy one and I will need more time and revisits to comprehend fully.

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    • Thank you so very much for your kind words! And I try not to make my posts too lengthy, but I guess I had a lot to say on the topic. 😊 very glad if you found value in it!

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  14. Brilliant read and one that dives deep, Laura ❤ !!! I’m guilty of wanting to make others happy and also of minimizing my “personality” so others feel more comfortable … Took its toll on me and now I can only hang with like minds (lol) !! Thank you for a very insightful pov and the routes to resolve.

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    • Thank you ❤️ I wasn’t sure how I felt about it lol. I think we all are guilty of that at times, and wanting things to just go right so we minimize our own feelings and accomplishments. I can feel you there on the like-mindedness. Certainly is much better to be around individuals who will build you up 😊

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  15. Great great great post! It’s something that like saying “Oh I’m so OCD” has become so common in our language, but not comprehended very much at all. To some extent we are encouraged to be imposters, to project out images we don’t embody or feel fully comfortable in. Then we often only know we’ve grown into that role in hindsight!

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    • Thank you so much, I think a lot of people use the example you used too to cover up how much of a perfectionist they are about certain things and I agree that to some level in our lives we are encouraged to be imposters. It doesn’t leave me with a great feeling, sometimes though – and I wish we could be more of “ourselves” at times. I think what doesn’t sit well with me if the crippling anxiety a lot of us face if we don’t put forth our outward mask on.
      Thank you ❤️

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  17. Love the honesty in this post! Imposter syndrome is such a common struggle, but you’ve tackled it head-on with humor and insight. Recognizing our successes, no matter how small, is key. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and making us all feel a little less alone in our self-doubt!

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    • Thanks Claire, glad you liked it. It definitely is something I feel we all struggle with, and it’s important for us to be able to recognize our accomplishments 😊

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  20. I think everyone had gone through that kind of phase in their life cycle, but hopefully one must not think of it as a bad indication. If you read a psychology book it says that every type of human temperaments has flaws in them.

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  30. This is a great post and resonates with me. I have always wanted to write about my own experience through imposter syndrome.

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    • Absolutely! So glad you found it helpful and thank you so much for commenting, what you said is very true. All we can do is try and do our best sometimes 😊

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  33. Or is the imposter really the person we think we are? Do we really know ourselves, or is one of the imposters out there the true ‘me’ I don’t dare admit to being? I use a term sometimes in characterizing friends or relatives who may not be totally on the up and up. ‘Where there is smoke, there is fire’. If enough people see in us something we don’t like, is that the reality, shameful as it might be? Can we really look ourselves in the mirror and truthfully pass judgement on ourselves? We should be able to make that one judgement, but truly can we?

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    • That’s very true. I love the quote you used, because it’s true. I do think it’s very hard for people to look at their inner and recognize at times, or come to terms with how they may actually not be great at something. Hopefully with some introspection, they end up actually doing the right thing.

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  34. This is pretty profound analysis, quite common syndrome nowadays I think. Everyone can find these features in her/himself if one just looks in the mirror and accepts what one sees in there. True, healing takes time. I like your super-computer, it makes amazing pictures😊 You are young and pretty, enjoy your life and yourself👍

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