Beyond Imposter Syndrome

Book excerpt: Imposter Syndrome, that awful feeling that you're not as good as you should be, often steals away our confidence. When we do achieve success strangely we still feel that we're not as good as many of our colleagues seem to think we are and we wonder when will we be found out?This strange phenomenon is surprisingly common and affects both men and women. As a result of Imposter Syndrome many very able women frequently experience stress and anxiety. Determined to hide the fact that they feel like an imposter, many are driven by performance-related perfectionism and are crippled by self-criticism.The origins of imposter syndrome are varied as are the solutions, many of which are discussed in this book. Because personal development is personal, we each need to select the combination of tools and approaches that works for us. To journey beyond imposter syndrome we need courage to know ourselves honestly as we tell our own stories and also compassion to treat ourselves gently as we grow. Moving beyond imposter syndrome doesn't mean we walk out perfect, shiny and bullet-proof. It does mean that we accept the truth of who we are, secure in the knowledge that we are enough.