Are You Really God’s Gift to This Earth, or Do You Just Have Imposter Syndrome?
Recently, three different people confided in me on the same day that they face imposter syndrome.
I don’t believe in coincidences, so I dug deeper.
First…a definition:
Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you are not really who you’re claiming to be, or qualified or able to do the thing you claim you can do. You are either over selling yourself or positioning yourself higher and mightier than you should be. This makes you an imposter, a fake.
Now, is imposter syndrome real? And if so, what to do.
Yeah, it’s real, but not everyone faces it. If that’s you, carry on. No need to dwell on things that aren’t a problem.
For those who do, consider these three thoughts:
- What if the thought of being an imposter bothers you because you are a person of integrity, not because you’re a fake.
- What if you really are who you claim to be, but aren’t able to see it.
- What if seeing it requires you to expand in a way that feels unknown and too uncomfortable?
Check check check?
Now consider these three thoughts:
- What if the thing that makes you this person comes so easy to you that you just give it away instead of creating value with it.
- What if what you are trying to create value with is outside of your innate qualities, so it feels forced and fake.
- What if this is all causing you to think you’re just not good at this, and an imposter?
If you got this far, congratulations. These aren’t easy questions to get through let alone answer.
I believe the reason people have imposter syndrome isn’t because they are a fake. It is because the thing that qualifies them the most is such a natural instinct, they miss it. They don’t even think about it most times. It colors everything they do.
But. BUT… when they’re finally able to recognize it for what it truly is, AND the impact it makes on people, they realize that they are in fact God’s gift to this earth.
Now, articulating it so they can get clients and make money is a ho’ different can of worms. It feels hard and uncomfortable and why does it sound stupid and cliche most of the time.
That’s partly why I created a proprietary process that has been refined over the several years to draw out each person’s unique flavor.
The other reason I created this process was so my clients wouldn’t waste money creating pretty marketing assets that have no clear message or impact.
Some people naturally operate in their gifts, some need help cultivating it. Being the latter doesn’t make you an imposter, it just makes for a more adventurous process of discovery.
Authentic brands that influence and connect with your market aren’t built overnight, and there is no formula. You can use a formula to discover it and leverage it, but it emerges first by inspiration. Find out more about the Zine Brand Discovery Process.
