Impostor Syndrome and its Solution

It happens to so many of us. We manage success after success by external metrics but cannot convince ourselves that, yes, we do know what we're doing and we have indeed earned that place at the table. No, this is not a fluke and no one is going to suddenly cry 'The jig is up'. This is impostor sydrome that plagues high-achievers. Much has been written about how to overcome it, as it eats at your sense of self-worth as an appetizer and then goes on to devour your productivity and nibble at your future accomplishments for dessert. Of the many things I have read I have found the following particulary helpful and share it with you here in hopes that you too will benefit from its wisdom:

"You don't have to prove that you know it all, or that you know your field better than everyone else (or even anyone else). That's NOT THE POINT of an advanced degree. The point is that only you have read exactly the texts you've read--and skipped exactly the texts you've skipped. Only you have the unique set of background and experiences that filtered those texts through your individual brain. As a result, there are thoughts you think about these texts that *only* you can think. Those are the thoughts that advance the field. Those are the thoughts that a great teacher pulls out of you and refines, via fire if necessary. You can't fake that, and nobody else can fake having your thoughts. So go out there and bring your whole unique self to your work, and you are never being an impostor."

The writer behind the brief bit of genius is the extraordinary Arlynda Boyer, doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto, where she works on actors' notes in period Shakespearean scripts.