Unbound Ambitions; Career. Relationships. Wellbeing

Conquering Unworthiness & Impostor Syndrom

• Penelope Magoulianiti • Season 2 • Episode 12

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Haunted by that nagging voice telling you you're not good enough?

We've all been there, and this episode is about turning down the volume on self-doubt and silencing the imposter syndrome.

I'm peeling back the layers on why we feel like frauds and how to step into our true potential. With a mix of personal narratives and actionable strategies, we're getting real about acknowledging our worth, transforming negative self-talk, and the difference a supportive community can make.

Then, we shift gears to the positive side of the spectrum, exploring how continuous learning and support networks are game-changers for self-empowerment.

I'll dive into the importance of applying new knowledge and embracing the value of resilience and effort over fleeting doubts. Plus, I'm dispelling the myths around the supposed career versus personal life trade-off for women, and you're invited to contribute to this ongoing discussion.

By the end of our time together, you'll be equipped with fresh perspectives on facing challenges and be part of a broader dialogue poised to reshape our collective approach to personal growth and achievement.

Join me, and let's empower each other to live lives as thriving as they are grounded.

I would love to invite you to a conversation. You can join me on this link.

Enjoy.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Unbound Ambitions, the podcast where aspirations meet action, dreams fuel drive and every ceiling is just another floor to break through. Here we celebrate the power of persistence, explore the art of balancing career and personal life and unlock the secrets to growth and fulfillment. Whether climbing the corporate ladder, navigating entrepreneurship or finding harmony in your daily life, unbound Ambitions is your companion in journeying for your highest goals. Join us as we get real about challenges, present valuable information and equip you with insights for a life that's as thriving as it is grounded. Because here we believe your ambitions are just the beginning. And now your host, penelope Magilniti.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to another episode of Unbound Ambitions. In this episode, you are going to hear me talking about the feelings of unworthiness, self-doubt and imposter syndrome and how to overcome them. Enjoy. Hello and welcome to another episode. I want to ask you a question. Do you ever feel like you're not good enough, no matter how much you achieve? The reason is the three feelings usually that exist and they are causing us not feeling good enough, and these feelings are unworthiness, self-doubt and the imposter syndrome.

Speaker 2:

The feelings of unworthiness and self-doubt are strong and constant in our lives. They convince us we do not deserve success. We don't deserve happiness or fulfillment, regardless if we have a track record of many achievements. Unfortunately, the cause of these feelings is not something that happened yesterday or a year ago. These feelings originated from early life, when we experienced criticism, rejection or failure and created this deeply ingrained belief, the belief of not being good enough. The fear of not meeting expectations leads us to avoiding challenges. So try something new. So the result is to sabotage our growth. The thoughts of I am worthless, I won't manage it, it's going to be another failure, so why bother? Are so strong in our head. So we feel inadequate. The voice inside criticizes every action and decision, emphasizing our flaws and minimizing our accomplishments, and this relentless self-scrunity creates a cycle of self-doubt and hesitation and, as a result, it is preventing us from being confident and assertive. On top of that, we also have the imposter syndrome, this persistent inability to believe that our success is deserved and we earn it through hard work or skills. So what we do instead is to attribute these accomplishments to lack and timing, and that is one of the reasons for having significant stress, anxiety and burnout, because our fear of being found out drives us to overwork or adopt excessively perfectionist tendencies. I call these feelings our shadows, because they darken our self-perception and cloud our ability to see our true worth and capabilities, and this is the reason for avoiding risk or our creativity being restrained. We become indecisive or rely on others for validation. Therefore, what we do is to undermine our autonomy. We have reduced capacity to bounce back from challenges, and also they hinder our relationships, because these feelings affect how we interact with others, leading to withdrawal, overcompensation, the so-called people's pleasing tendencies or our reluctance to engage in healthy, supportive relationships.

Speaker 2:

Identifying these feelings is the first step towards reclaiming our power. We do it by understanding first from where we adopted them. Societal norms and expectations play a significant role in shaping our self-perception. From a young age, we are bombarded with messages about what it means to be successful, attractive, intelligent and so on, and we receive these messages from media, our culture, our educational systems and family traditions. So when we feel we do not measure up to these prescribed standards, we are not, feelings of unworthiness and self-doubt can emerge, and for women especially, these expectations around our roles in both the professional and domestic areas, can create conflicting pressures and lead to a sense of never being able to fulfill either adequately. But failures are also causing our self-doubt.

Speaker 2:

Early experiences of failure, criticism, rejection, mainly if they occurred in a highly impactful context, such as during one's formative years or in a significant professional setting, can implant this fear of inadequacy, and it persists even in the face of later successes. Because the memory is there, the worry is there. The third reason is when we compare ourselves to others. This perception that everyone else is more successful, happier or competent than us can create the imposter syndrome, making us feel like frauds. And I used to think I had nothing valuable to offer to my clients and, to be honest, I completely overlooked the journey of many failed attempts to get where I am today. I forgot my financial transformation from having no money and living from paycheck to paycheck which, as we all know, it was never enough to survive to having the lifestyle that I enjoy right now, and all the experiences I gave when I'm traveling the world today Working with these great people. I also overlooked that I changed the course of my marriage from being roommates at some point to having this playful, deep connection with my husband. My mind discarded all this because of the fear of being an imposter. Can you think of a moment when you first felt these emotions? One of my clients, kathy, confessed in one of our sessions that he has been leading this successful company and yet she felt that she needed to become so hard instead of embracing her true self. And this is one of the stories of rediscovery we need to learn to value our worth. So how do we break free?

Speaker 2:

There are five steps that you can start implementing right now. Number one is to recognize your achievements. Write down everything that you have accomplished. I do it every day. Big or small doesn't matter. What matters is the acknowledgement I give to my effort. The well done, penelope. Number two talk back to your inner critic. Instead of criticizing yourself constantly. Why don't you try to be a good critic? And secondly, why don't you try words of support? And I would like to challenge you to do this for one week and come back to me with the outcome. Number three is to seek a supportive community. Being part of a community is the best gift you can give to yourself, and I am creating one right now, and I would love you to be in it. Number four practice self-compassion. I always speak about self-care because it is essential. If your kid is sick, for example, will you push him or her to go to school or work? Wouldn't you insist to stay home?

Speaker 1:

and rest.

Speaker 2:

So why don't you practice the same compassion for yourself Meditating, exercising, taking some time off to relax, having a massage, creating self-care routines all essential for your overall well-being. And, lastly, embrace continuous learning? The learning journey is a path to confidence and self-acceptance. The more you learn, the more confident you become. The more you work to implement what you have learned, the better results you will have. Your worth isn't defined by your doubts or the imposter within. It's shaped by the strength of your journey and the truth of your efforts. Share how you are overcoming these shadows. I would love to know. Let's inspire each other.

Speaker 2:

And if you need to find that support system that you so much crave, reach out to me. I would love to hear your story and help. Until next time, much love. There are several myths and misconceptions that exist about women who want to have successful careers and maintain fulfilling and beautiful relationships, and this is what I love to do. I love to debunk these myths, to coach and guide women to a new way of thinking and doing. If you're interested in learning more about my work, I would like to invite you to a conversation. Go to PenelopeMagudianitycom. Forward slash. Let's talk to book your call.