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The Battle Within
A Writer’s Journey Through Imposter Syndrome
Let me tell you, imposter syndrome is alive and boundless, fueled by the Inner Critic and her wayward ways. As a writer, there have been so many times when I’ve been plagued with doubt, that gnawing feeling of not being good enough to share my words. There have been so many beliefs that I’ve adopted, that worked hard to convince me that I should just stay in the closet. (I like to term it, a closet writer.)
At first, the thought of sharing the sacred words of my soul with other living beings made me want to curl up into a fetal position. The Inner Critic whispered lovingly into my ear, “You’re not good enough. What if your words sound stupid? What would people think? What would they see? What would you see? You’ll be too vulnerable.”
And I fell into her soft lullabies, I mean lies. That closet seemed incredibly nice and safe.
Yet the Muse was not having it. She dusted off her warrior gear and prepared for war with her mighty pen. She rallied those hidden words with impassioned speeches and unfettered faith and marched right up to that shoulder.
The Muse whispered her battle cries into my ear, “You were born for this. Your words matter. You matter. Don’t you know that vulnerability is your superpower? Don’t write for them, write for you…