Dealing With Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter Syndrome: that little devil that sits on your shoulder, whispering in your ear telling you all sorts of lies; lies he tells you often enough that you believe them. Lies that you’re not good enough, that you’ll never amount to anything, that no-one wants to bother with you; such lies can be damaging and last a lifetime.

This is just one of the reasons why lately I’ve been seeing a counsellor. My mental health needs as much attention as my physical health, as both have been affecting my ability to get back into writing. Writing has always given me pleasure, but I have been procrastinating for so long now, I know there is something more that is holding me back.

I have been focusing mainly on my health this year, and after three years of chronic pain, I am finally in a much better position physically, however my mental and spiritual health has suffered. My counsellor gave me a list of core values, which I needed to narrow down to five. It wasn’t an easy task, but for me lately these are: – Self-respect, Creativity, Happiness, Peace, and Love.

That first one is the killer. Without it, I will fail to carry out the others. This will be my biggest challenge, especially when I have had no self-respect my entire life, all because of imposter syndrome. I know where it stems from, and I have already made steps to move forward. It hasn’t exactly been easy, but it’s entirely necessary.

My counsellor wants me to observe how often imposter syndrome gets in my way. Without even thinking about it, the answer to that question is simple – a lot! For far too long it has prevented me from living the life I’ve always wanted. It has held me back from traveling more and making progress with my writing.

I need to remind myself that I deserve happiness, peace and love, and this will give me my self-respect. In turn, I can then continue with my creativity. Like writing, this will be a long road, and one that starts with baby steps; daily reminders that I am worth it.

I can do this! I want this change in my life. A change for the better. Don’t we all deserve that?

Do you suffer from imposter syndrome? What steps are you taking/have taken to remove those doubts?