Hi friends,
Today, we're gonna dig into a really interesting topic: imposter syndrome. Bet you've heard of it, right? According to the American Psychological Association, 82% of people have dealt with the phenomenon at some point in their lives. We've both experienced throughout our careers, especially while building empowHERed. But what actually is imposter syndrome, anyway? The National Institutes of Health defines it as "a behavioral health phenomenon described as self-doubt of intellect, skills, or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals". Wow. Raise your hand if you've ever felt personally victimized by a definition? But let's dive a little deeper and unpack this together.
To us, imposter syndrome represents that nagging voice in the back of your head telling you you're not good enough, the feeling that you're faking it, or the inability to believe that you deserve to be where we are, doing what you're doing. Now add in being a woman in the world of sports, which, as we may have mentioned a time or two, is still pretty darn male dominated. Combine those two and bam, you've got imposter syndrome on steroids! Like we didn't already have a plate full dealing with the whole having to break the glass ceiling thing, right? Let's add a dash of good old-fashioned self-doubt to the mix! And it's not just your regular self-doubt. It's the kind that's brewed in your own brain, seasoned with a generous helping of men constantly questioning your skills and sports knowledge. We're not too proud to admit that this our daily reality as women in sports and as female entrepreneurs co-founding empowHERed (heck, sometimes we feel weird even calling ourselves "entrepreneurs"). And to put it bluntly, it's a real pain in the ass (sorry Mom).
We wish we were writing this blog to tell you that we have found the cure for imposter syndrome.But, let's get real, life doesn't work like that. Like anyone, we have days where we're in the zone, productivity's through the roof, amazing opportunities pop up out of nowhere, and we feel like we're really crushing this life. But we also have days where we call each other on the verge of a breakdown, our seemingly never-ending to-do list stressing us to point where we haven't moved from our desks in 12 hours, our jaws are clenched, and we forgot to eat.
So while we can't give you a cure-all, we can definitively say you're not alone. No matter how shiny and perfect someone's life looks on social media or in person, we all have our "am I good enough" moments. So, we'll say it again, loud and clear: You. Are. Not. Alone. And most importantly, don't you dare let those nagging thoughts or anyone else's opinions mess with your self-worth.
And when it comes to women in sports, know this: You are more than deserving, you absolutely know your stuff, and just because you might be the lone lady in the room, it doesn't diminish your right to be there. Stand tall, never forget the sweat and tears you've poured into earning that spot, and hold your ground. But most importantly, once you're in that room, don't forget to send the elevator back down and make space for more incredible women. It's not a contest; there's room for all of us. In the meantime, when imposter syndrome rears its ugly head, remember that you've always got empowHERed—a fantastic community of women who'll always have your back, reminding you that you’re awesome and you belong here.
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