You're an imposter and so am I

I’m not a fan of the word Imposter, nor have I ever thought of myself as suffering from Imposter Syndrome.

But I have:

• Worried about what other people will think

• Replayed a meeting in my head to review everything I said

• Wondered, “Why would [insert impressive person] want to talk to me?”

• Asked, “Who am I to receive this opportunity?”

Which by definition is Imposter Syndrome: self-doubt and feeling like a fraud despite evidence to the contrary.

Okay, okay, maybe, but having a name for it doesn’t help it get better.

Author and marketing guru Seth Godin’s perspective though puts Imposter, Fraud, Self-doubt in new light for me, and hopefully you too.

He went on to talk about how we have to be Imposters when launching businesses, writing books, interviewing for jobs, doing anything for the first time, because we haven’t done it before.

We’re seeing what can happen.

Experimenting. Exploring. Dreaming bigger. Taking action.

If Seth Godin or anyone we admire can be Imposters — if you and I can be Imposters and still try new things, survive setbacks and failure and find a way through — it’s much braver than it seems.

As my fellow A students can attest, we don’t like the potential of getting something wrong (the potential of not getting an A on our first attempt), but that doesn’t usually stop us from being scared & doing it anyway.

Many of us are leaping into new territory right now. Going after more meaningful work, more fulfilling relationships, more sanity and patience in a hyper-changing world. When the feeling of self-doubt surfaces, I hope we’ll take a second to remind ourselves of what Brave Imposters we are.

I’m proud of us.

Are you a Brave Imposter too?

What's your next adventure?

Hi friends!

Today I fly to Europe with my father on our second trip together.

This photo was from our previous adventure in Italy, and this time we’re cruising up the Rhine River from Switzerland to Germany and The Netherlands.

In addition to the joy of wandering around new cities with new people, new food, new art…the real adventure is in our relationship.

This photo tells you a lot about our different personalities and approaches to life. We don’t always see eye to eye, but we are better for every attempt. For instance, I know this is him smiling, curiously amused by his daughter pushing him out of his comfort zone.

That’s the thing about adventures, and leaps of all kinds personal and professional.

There’s what you think it’s about — the logistics of sightseeing excursions or printing business cards for your new business — and then there’s what it’s really about beneath the surface.

And what it’s really about? You changing in a fundamental way. You are a different person with every new adventure and leap. You are changing before your very eyes, and so is everyone else around you, and it is totally uncomfortable.

Not unlike the look on my father’s face.

It’s amusing, maybe exciting, and probably some version of scary too. You don’t know what will happen, and there’s no way of knowing until you go for it. Get on the airplane. Send your first marketing email.

On the other side is where you learn who you really are.

What’s your next adventure, personal or professional, and what is the real adventure beneath it?

No matter where in the world we are, we’re in this together.