Reframing The Imposter Syndrome
Wendy Corner
?? Amplify Your Message, Make A Difference, Transform Your Impact: From Page to Stage ?
We highly encourage our Speakers for Your Words Have Power is to invite people from their network to attend and support them as they embark on their first-ever (true for 90% of them) stage presentation. We, the team and I, can hear the hesitation in some of the voices as they say:
"Who'd want to listen to me?"
"I can't ask that of them, can I? They are way too busy to do something like this for me."
The doubts start to creep in.
"Who am I to...."
"I'm not good at self-promotion."
Meet the Imposter Syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome is something that almost everyone struggles with at some point in their lives—and if it hasn't happened to you yet, well done! It's part of being human to feel like we don't deserve certain things, or like we're not good enough to achieve our goals. And while some degree of this self-doubt can be helpful in pushing us to work harder and do better, when that doubt starts to affect our behaviour in negative ways (like avoiding situations where we might fail), then it becomes a problem.
Totally understandable and valid points raised earlier by our aspiring Speakers. And, of course, they would think and feel this way. This is to be expected. Because they are speaking on stage in front of a live audience for the first time, sharing their message and more importantly, bringing to the spotlight these vulnerable and intimate parts of their life. It was fine sharing those stories in 1-1 or private conversations. This being on stage thing is a totally different scale.
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But we all have to start somewhere! And if you're a first-time speaker or publically sharing something that's not easy to share, then these feelings are completely normal.
We've all been there before! We've all felt like imposters before (especially as we were starting out as Speakers and then getting onto bigger stages). And we're here to tell you that it gets easier over time! Many of our Speakers from Your Words Have Power will attest to that. As you get more comfortable with your message and sharing it with others, it will become less stressful and nerve-wracking for you each time around.
The best part of Your Words Have Power is that it is a platform to change lives by sharing our stories. The common feedback is "seeing them on stage makes me want to get my presentation ready" and they do. We have the firm belief that we are always impacting someone's life by how we live though we may not always be conscious of that effect.
Here's a quick tip with dealing with that voice that says "I'm not good with self-promotion". Reply with "This is about my self-preservation".
What do we mean by this?
Here's what we share with our aspiring Speakers: as you're starting on this new chapter, it's expected that these doubts and the Imposter Syndrome start creeping in. The next thing that may happen are the self-sabotage patterns. You do take action but there is delay or drag - with not as much gusto as you would later realise you needed! By having people you know supporting you, who perhaps have been where you are or even maybe a step behind you, being surrounded by them is about self-preservation so that you stay on the course and make the most of the opportunity! It's a sure-fire way to stay committed to the goal; it's not as easy to back out on our goals once they are made public!
What you're effectively acknowledging is that as much as it feels vulnerable and in other parts nerve-wracking to be presenting your story on stage, being surrounded by people who know you or who understand what you're going through keeps you fighting the good fight. They may or not expect you to have a killer presentation - that's theirs to have. Now, get ready to step onto that stage with your best effort.
If you're looking for a stage to share your message and change lives, submit an Application to Be A Speaker here. We'll take care of the rest, but we can't do it without you!