Imposter Syndrome is defined as a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud” (Wikipedia).

I have always been a hard worker and I have always been a team player. I’ve also always excelled at work because I took pride in what I did, but one day…one job..shook me to my core.

My immediate supervisor had written a poor review about me it was the first time(and one that hasn’t happened since) but I was astonished.

I was the youngest employee and the only person of color AND my supervisor was condescending and undermining to the executive director. Why someone thought she should be over anyone, but especially a new employee learning the job is beyond me.

After my review, I started questioning myself, my intelligence and my sense of self really took a hit..I was determined to prove myself..I was right for the job.

The harder I worked to “prove” myself the worse the place of employment got. Eventually, the toxicity of the supervisor was noticed and she was asked to leave, but the damage left behind was wide spread for me.

Not feeling secure in your current line of work or in yourself can be devastating. So how did I overcome??

Truth be told I haven’t fully healed and it’s been almost 3 years later. I am working through that process.

How I deal with feelings of inadequacy is prayer, affirmations and CHECKING my resume. That’s right God has always put me in leadership roles and always allowed for increase. If I look back on all I’ve overcome I can easily talk myself into doing new things.

Here’s some additional tips to overcome:

1. Tribe-Tell your tribe about your feelings. Let them pour into you (but carefully pick these people-they need to be encouraging but not to the point they dismiss clear warning signs.)

2. Work on your skills. That’s right, repetition creates habits and comfortability. Never stop learning and always sharpen your skills.

3. Everyday do small things that make you uncomfortable everyday.