The sounds of silence

Colleagues,

MVP: Imposter syndrome will make up bad news in the absence of real news.

I’m sharing this for those of you who suffer from imposter syndrome (you aren’t alone)…

Organizer: You were recommended as a possible speaker for our conference. Are you interested?

Me: Absolutely! I’ve actually been working on something I think would be a great fit! Here it is…

Organizer: (nothing)

Me, thinking: Oh, did my enthusiasm scare them away?

Organizer: (nothing)

Me, thinking: Maybe it was a terrible idea, and now I’ve lost the opportunity!

Organizer: Sorry for the delay in responding, I just had a new grandchild! Your proposal looks like just what our people need!

No matter how hard I work to combat imposter syndrome, it is still there. The difference now is that I can recognize it for what it is – the efforts of a small part of me to play it safe and not take risks.

More importantly, I do not act on what that imposter voice is saying to me.

Cheers!

Frederick