“Can I do this? Am I going to be any good at it?” These are some of the questions of impostor syndrome—a feeling that almost everyone has experienced. Despite the inner urge to take that leap forward, we sometimes hesitate and wonder, “What will people think?”
Often, we cannot help but view the leap through the lens of others’ perceptions. We may stop ourselves before we even start. We want people to approve of us, and it is their assumed doubts and critiques that can get stuck in our heads, looping and keeping us stalled.
The Ironic Impostor
Taking that leap means leaving the predictable behind to follow a call into the unknown. It’s a vulnerable place—becoming more of who you are as you step onto the path you came here to walk. You are stripping away the pretense, letting go of what you have outgrown, and leaning into what feels true.
Yet the dilemma remains: being pulled toward something that feels honest and right—while not yet feeling ready.
Moving forward naturally brings out our insecurities, stirring the fear that we might be seen as an impostor. But if we feel the call to step into something new—something that aligns with who we are—but then stop ourselves or question our ability, we are letting the fear define us. The irony is that in those moments of hesitation, we are playing the impostor to ourselves.
The Soul’s Stretch
You may not feel like you have all the skills yet, or that you can truly be an expert in this new endeavour. But the fact that it calls out to you—that you can’t stop thinking about it—means the potential is already within you. You are already it; you are just learning to bring it out into the world.
As we dive into something new, it will feel like unfamiliar territory. Self-doubt pops up as we stretch beyond our comfort zone—and sometimes beyond other people’s comfort zone of us. That doubt is simply part of the process as we come face-to-face with the parts of ourselves that don’t want to go along for the ride; the parts that prefer stability in the familiar and try to hold onto it a little too long.
While the human part of us desires this stability, our soul feels bored by it. The soul’s essence wants to evolve; this is why it provokes us to keep stepping forward, growing, and learning. When we ignore it, that inner voice tends to get louder.
The Illusion of Immediacy
We live in a world that praises the illusion of perfection and rarely appreciates the process of learning. Immediacy reigns. We hold ourselves up to this standard, but true expertise and craftsmanship come from the experience of doing things well—and not so well. It requires going through the emotions of wanting to give up, but then finding a way to get back on board and give it another go. All of this is growth. We may “fail” at times, but failure and success are two sides of the same coin; one cannot exist without the other.
Success is not always a finish line. Sometimes, success is simply taking the chance to follow the call—learning how to exist in the new space and being willing to see what lies on the other side of the unknown. Feeling like an impostor may not be something that we completely release, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep moving.
The Humanness of Evolving
Most people appreciate authenticity and vulnerability; they connect to the humanness of evolving. They do not always want “perfection” thrown at them; they want to connect to the real person inside.
We might be surprised to learn that some of the people we admire most also feel like impostors at times. They seem so polished, and we often compare their outside confidence to our inside insecurities, mistakenly believing we cannot be as good. We may then feel like people are judging us—that they can see those insecurities—but this is often not true. We might be surprised at how others truly feel and what they find inspiring.
Shifting the Needle
The journey does not need to be perfect, but it needs to be walked. The more you take steps and make a disciplined effort to do the little things every day, the more you connect to where you want to go. As you share your truth and follow your path, it starts to take form in your life. Even though you may have moments where you feel like an impostor, those thoughts only slow you down if you give them power.
Life is a series of stretching the comfort zone—it might even be a series of “impostor” feelings. If you can establish a routine, spending a few minutes every day in that energy, you can start to shift the needle toward what feels truly honest and honors what you want to create. While the impostor feeling may walk with you as you find your way, eventually its influence will fade, and knowing will be your companion.
Shaleeza Ali 