Impostor

When I first started coaching people, I felt like a huge impostor.

This feeling didn’t go away, especially when the first question I was asked in a group coaching call was “How long have you been a coach?” and the answer was “This is my first time.” 

Fortunately my co-coach was super experienced, so I think it assuaged people’s fears, but especially when I was asked to coach a workshop session with participants who were directors at Fortune 50 companies, the feeling of being an impostor was still around, live and kicking.

But as I continued to coach and continued to lead, I realized that at the end of the day, we’re all scared of the same things.

We were all scared we’re not good enough, or talented enough, or important enough.

And I realized that if these amazing people were feeling the same way that I did, but they didn’t want to talk openly about it, then perhaps everyone who was doing great things felt the same way that I did too.

I now know that the more we talk about it and normalize the feeling of uncertainty, the fear of failure and not being enough, and the self-doubt looming in the back of our minds, the more we’ll realize that everyone feels this same way.

And when we’re not alone in our fear, suddenly the fear becomes much more manageable and less terrifying.

And when the fear becomes less terrifying, the quicker we can realize that this fear is a signpost that shows us where the greatest opportunities lie.

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