Imposter Syndrome Feelings? 

 

Are you dealing with imposter syndrome….feelings of self-doubt, not being good enough? Read Jaime Kern Lima’s book Believe It. This book is truly inspiring.   It is a book I will go back to read again and again in whole or just specific sections when I need encouragement.

I finished the book in a few days. If I hadn’t had to work, I probably would have finished it in 1 day.

Jaime tells her story from where she started to how she ended up selling her cosmetics company to L’Oréal and becoming the first woman CEO at that company.  She heard so many NOs along the way and had so many reasons to doubt herself and decide to quit.

 

Jaime Kern Lima’s Vision for Inspiring Women

 

What I really connected with was her vision of wanting to reach every day women who do not look like the air brushed models that are in some company ads.  Jaime pushed to use regular women with everyday skin issues while promoting her cosmetics on QVC.

Jaime also wants to inspire and encourage women to reach for their dreams and not give up.

Wherever you may be stuck right now, that doesn’t indicate where you’re going in the future. Don’t let anyone else’s doubts about you or your dream turn into doubt in your own head. And also, don’t become resentful of their disbelief and no’s. This is super important. Our human nature is to get resentful when someone hurts us or doesn’t believe in us. But if I’d held grudges against anyone who once rejected me, I’d never have turned those NO’s into glorious YESes!  Lima, Jamie Kern. Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable (p. 33). Gallery Books. Kindle Edition.

 

Our Past Does Not Equal Our Future

 

So many of us let our past experiences tell us what the future looks like.  Our old beliefs define how we give meaning to current events in our life. We need to question if our current beliefs are true and why we still believe them. Are they serving us now or holding us back?  We can change anything we decide to change. What are you putting off?

I learned that where you come from matters less than what you’re made of. Pay attention to your struggles, as they can become your superpower. They’re often the parts of our story we want to erase or forget because they’re painful. But when you consider them as moments you’ve been strong enough to experience and endure and triumphantly emerge from, they can also become part of your greater purpose in life. And part of your highest expression of what you have to give to others while you’re here. Believe in the power of embracing your story, including the messy parts that ultimately can make it even more beautiful. And believe in loving others on their own journey to do the same.  Lima, Jamie Kern. Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable (p. 64). Gallery Books. Kindle Edition.

 

Why Do We Care What Others Think?

 

Do you worry about what other people think?  I know I do….why? It is that fear of rejection. Fear of not getting everything the way it should be, of making mistakes. We are supposed to learn from our mistakes….so I am going to keep going and pushing toward my dream of having a business through which I hope to help a lot of women.

One of the biggest fears that holds us back from showing up as our true self is the fear that people won’t like us. Here’s the thing: We’re going to encounter mean girls, underminers, gossips, ruthless competitors, and even misguided supporters. Not everyone is going to like each of us all of the time no matter what. So why not accept it and show up as yourself?! Otherwise you’re going to have haters and critics judging someone you’re actually not, on top of it all. Maybe it’s less painful, or you think if you shrink down or hide, you’ll encounter less negativity. But at the end of the day, when you reclaim your power and show up in your life as your authentic self, you literally gain your whole life back.  Lima, Jamie Kern. Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable (p. 91). Gallery Books. Kindle Edition.

Comparing Our Lives to Others

 

Why do we feel we need to be like someone else?  Grow our business or make a product like that person over there?  It is so easy to see what others are doing and start thinking we are not doing it like them….it I was, my income, my impact, my team would be bigger….

The biggest risk to our business isn’t what the competition is doing. It’s the risk of getting distracted and influenced by it and diluting our own secret sauce. I said this so many times that my team started finishing the sentence for me after a while. Just like in friendships and relationships, the same is true in business. And in business, your authentic relationship is with your customer. Realizing the power of authenticity takes so much pressure and stress off. Because there is only one you. And being anyone other than yourself simply won’t work. Realizing this sets you free.  Lima, Jamie Kern. Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable (p. 105). Gallery Books. Kindle Edition.

 

Celebrate Each Other’s Wins

 

In the book, Jaime encourages all women to celebrate each other’s successes. We can encourage each other, celebrate each other’s wins and promote each other as we all grow.  We can inspire others by our wins and encourage them by sharing our failures to show them they are not alone.

Find a group of women you connect with to surround yourself with like minded women. Celebrate and encourage each other as you go for your dreams.

 

We can Overcome our Self-Doubts and Imposter Syndrome Feelings

 

What are you committed to this week?  Have you been putting off something you need to take action on? Take decisive action towards your dreams in spite of doubts or imposter syndrome feelings.  Keep inspiring books, quotes, and sayings near you to keep you in your best frame of mind.

One last though from Jaime’s book:

It’s not only about helping and inspiring other girls and women, it’s also about doing this for yourself. And for the younger self inside of you. As a little girl, maybe you were scared and unsure of who you were and who you were becoming. Now is the time, as a woman, when you can reach back to your younger self and extend your own hand… to that little girl who learned to doubt the strength inside of her, who learned to doubt her own beauty, who learned to stay quiet when she knew the answer, who got put down for being herself and started believing the hurtful words. Reach back to that little girl, take her hand, and say, “Come with me, we’re stronger now. You’re not alone. You’re beautiful. God made you with a light inside of you destined to shine. You’re worthy of using your voice, of knowing the answer, of shining your light so brightly that it illuminates the world.” Don’t dim your light. Ever! Because when you dim yours, you dim hers! Believe in the power of letting your light shine. Her future, and yours, depends on it!  Lima, Jamie Kern. Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable (pp. 226-227). Gallery Books. Kindle Edition.

 

 

Take your next steps!

Yvonne