I don’t feel like I belong on this stage
right now don’t get me wrong I’m excited
to be here in a time where I really
needed change in my life
Ted and TEDx talks really helped me make
that transition being able to come full
circle today and stand on stage at this
TEDx conference it’s truly a dream come
true for me
that being said sharing the stage today
with so many talented amazing and
accomplished people doesn’t necessarily
make me feel accomplished in fact I kind
of feel like a wannabe it makes me feel
like an impostor maybe you felt this way
at some point in your life
have you ever felt like a fraud are you
ambitious in your career or business but
always feel like you’re in over your
head trying to catch up to everyone else
around you are you plagued by the
sneaking suspicion that eventually
you’re gonna get found out someone’s
gonna realize that you actually don’t
know what you’re doing and they’re gonna
expose you for the fake and the phony
that you really are if you answer yes to
any of these questions in your head then
you might have impostor syndrome
see impostor syndrome is the inability
to fully internalize your own success
it’s what makes you feel like you’re not
talented enough smart enough or
experienced enough regardless of what
you actually accomplish I suspect that
people in this crowd may feel imposter
syndrome in varying degrees but it burns
brightest and people who are doing work
that’s deeply important to them it’s
usually the ones who most feel like
frauds that are moving closest in the
direction of their dreams and those are
the people that I want to talk about
today if you find yourself in this
category I have excellent news for you
the future belongs to the Impostors the
frauds will inherit the earth
the ones who deal with their emotions
the right way at least you see on your
way to becoming great you’re faced with
two very distinct choices you can try to
alleviate those feelings by shying away
from a challenge
and finding something that’s more safe
more secure more certain and that’s what
a lot of people do on the other hand you
can act in spite of your feelings lean
into your fear and apply for a job you
don’t think you’re qualified for start a
business you don’t think you have enough
experience to start write a book you
don’t think you’re skilled enough to
write and live a life that terrifies you
but excites you at the same time this
isn’t anything new though right these
two choices have pretty much always been
the same the only difference now is that
the first choice of safety and security
isn’t nearly as attractive as it used to
be you see not too long ago security was
at a premium and the rules for getting
ahead were clearly defined go to school
get a nice cushy job worked for 40 years
coast along until you cash your pension
check and everything would be fine
but now the economic train has shifted
tracks and doing work that matters to
you on a personal level work that runs
the risk of feeling like a fraud it’s
more important now than it ever has been
before I say that because there’s never
been more opportunity than there has
been
for the gatekeepers in every industry
are gone and those who bet on themselves
now are gonna reap disproportionate
rewards in the future on the flip side
the incentives were playing it safe are
slowly slipping away many safe and
stable industries are either gone or on
their way out the door
certain types of credentials are
becoming a common commodity the whole
idea of a set it and forget it career is
dead important work comes at the cost of
self-doubt
it always has but the world is finally
starting to recognize how important that
work is so when our new connected
growing and fast-paced economy in
society we’re gonna need more frauds
we’re gonna need more people who feel
like imposters to step up to the plate
you see back then we didn’t necessarily
need people to face uncertainty the
entrepreneur the artist the person who
deviated outside of the path laid out
for them by society these people were an
obscure minority but now in a time of
growth and change were new businesses
industries and job titles are popping up
every second we’re gonna need more
people to take that leap I took that
leap by getting on stage today part of
me feels like a fraud who doesn’t
deserve to be up here but the other part
of me the part I choose to listen to
knows this is exactly where I’m supposed
to be because stepping up to a challenge
and facing uncertainty is what makes me
feel like my true self and that’s the
irony of it all you’re only a true
imposter if you ignore the work you’re
meant to do and the life you’re supposed
to live you’re only a true fraud if you
convince yourself that you’re not
talented enough or qualified enough to
live how you want to live because that’s
simply not true the question remains
what do you do about all this you want
to join the rising ranks of frauds
acting in spite of their feelings how
you deal with these emotions you focus
on providing value for other people
impostor syndrome self-doubt and feeling
like a fraud
these all stem from your ego there are a
result of what happens when you focus on
just yourself but your lives matter to
more people than just yourselves when
you fail to face uncertainty and shy
away from challenges you don’t just rob
yourself
you rob the rest of us the world needs
what you have to offer give your gifts
to us help us all move forward sure you
might feel like a fraud the entire time
but deep down you’ll understand that
you’re living your truth thank you very
much
[Applause]
right now don’t get me wrong I’m excited
to be here in a time where I really
needed change in my life
Ted and TEDx talks really helped me make
that transition being able to come full
circle today and stand on stage at this
TEDx conference it’s truly a dream come
true for me
that being said sharing the stage today
with so many talented amazing and
accomplished people doesn’t necessarily
make me feel accomplished in fact I kind
of feel like a wannabe it makes me feel
like an impostor maybe you felt this way
at some point in your life
have you ever felt like a fraud are you
ambitious in your career or business but
always feel like you’re in over your
head trying to catch up to everyone else
around you are you plagued by the
sneaking suspicion that eventually
you’re gonna get found out someone’s
gonna realize that you actually don’t
know what you’re doing and they’re gonna
expose you for the fake and the phony
that you really are if you answer yes to
any of these questions in your head then
you might have impostor syndrome
see impostor syndrome is the inability
to fully internalize your own success
it’s what makes you feel like you’re not
talented enough smart enough or
experienced enough regardless of what
you actually accomplish I suspect that
people in this crowd may feel imposter
syndrome in varying degrees but it burns
brightest and people who are doing work
that’s deeply important to them it’s
usually the ones who most feel like
frauds that are moving closest in the
direction of their dreams and those are
the people that I want to talk about
today if you find yourself in this
category I have excellent news for you
the future belongs to the Impostors the
frauds will inherit the earth
the ones who deal with their emotions
the right way at least you see on your
way to becoming great you’re faced with
two very distinct choices you can try to
alleviate those feelings by shying away
from a challenge
and finding something that’s more safe
more secure more certain and that’s what
a lot of people do on the other hand you
can act in spite of your feelings lean
into your fear and apply for a job you
don’t think you’re qualified for start a
business you don’t think you have enough
experience to start write a book you
don’t think you’re skilled enough to
write and live a life that terrifies you
but excites you at the same time this
isn’t anything new though right these
two choices have pretty much always been
the same the only difference now is that
the first choice of safety and security
isn’t nearly as attractive as it used to
be you see not too long ago security was
at a premium and the rules for getting
ahead were clearly defined go to school
get a nice cushy job worked for 40 years
coast along until you cash your pension
check and everything would be fine
but now the economic train has shifted
tracks and doing work that matters to
you on a personal level work that runs
the risk of feeling like a fraud it’s
more important now than it ever has been
before I say that because there’s never
been more opportunity than there has
been
for the gatekeepers in every industry
are gone and those who bet on themselves
now are gonna reap disproportionate
rewards in the future on the flip side
the incentives were playing it safe are
slowly slipping away many safe and
stable industries are either gone or on
their way out the door
certain types of credentials are
becoming a common commodity the whole
idea of a set it and forget it career is
dead important work comes at the cost of
self-doubt
it always has but the world is finally
starting to recognize how important that
work is so when our new connected
growing and fast-paced economy in
society we’re gonna need more frauds
we’re gonna need more people who feel
like imposters to step up to the plate
you see back then we didn’t necessarily
need people to face uncertainty the
entrepreneur the artist the person who
deviated outside of the path laid out
for them by society these people were an
obscure minority but now in a time of
growth and change were new businesses
industries and job titles are popping up
every second we’re gonna need more
people to take that leap I took that
leap by getting on stage today part of
me feels like a fraud who doesn’t
deserve to be up here but the other part
of me the part I choose to listen to
knows this is exactly where I’m supposed
to be because stepping up to a challenge
and facing uncertainty is what makes me
feel like my true self and that’s the
irony of it all you’re only a true
imposter if you ignore the work you’re
meant to do and the life you’re supposed
to live you’re only a true fraud if you
convince yourself that you’re not
talented enough or qualified enough to
live how you want to live because that’s
simply not true the question remains
what do you do about all this you want
to join the rising ranks of frauds
acting in spite of their feelings how
you deal with these emotions you focus
on providing value for other people
impostor syndrome self-doubt and feeling
like a fraud
these all stem from your ego there are a
result of what happens when you focus on
just yourself but your lives matter to
more people than just yourselves when
you fail to face uncertainty and shy
away from challenges you don’t just rob
yourself
you rob the rest of us the world needs
what you have to offer give your gifts
to us help us all move forward sure you
might feel like a fraud the entire time
but deep down you’ll understand that
you’re living your truth thank you very
much
[Applause]
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