Posts tagged Challenges
Cultivating A Positive Attitude
Oct 10th
Self confidence is the confidence and belief one has in their own abilities and capabilities. One has to remember that when you begin to question anything too often, you eventually begin to doubt it. If you have a low opinion of yourself and your capabilities, you can easily change it. Remember an opinion is what we may relatively feel certain about. However that emotional certainty and intensity is only temporary as it can be easily altered.
Lack of self confidence can be a result of low self esteem, self doubt or unrealistic expectations of yourself and not being able to accomplish them within the time period you have set for yourself. Lack of self confidence can be a problem. You cannot make others believe in you, if you do not believe in your own abilities.
Moreover you are limiting your own growth and success, since your thoughts and words have the power to shape and change your own destiny. People with low self confidence often find it difficult to meet new challenges. They have a pessimistic approach towards situations and thereby limit their own growth and success.
Some of the things one can do to gain self confidence are to firstly challenge your own negative thoughts. Remember things do not change, we change. Start off by changing the way you feel about things. Inculcate a positive attitude and thought process. Additionally break free from the patterns that limit how you feel and act, and do not indulge in self pity and feelings of worthlessness.
If you feel sad or angry about a situation, do not dwell in those feelings for long. Why let the negative experience continue to trouble you. Instead look at the situation as a learning experience. Also plan out your work and work out your plan. Remember actions bring results. Plan out your work and be prepared to face all the challenges and possible outcome with a positive attitude.
How to Cope With the Impostor Phenomenon
Oct 5th
The existence of a psychological state of mind called the “impostor phenomenon” was discovered by psychologists way back in the 70s. They had been able to establish the curious fact that quite a number of successful people actually privately believed that their success was not something they could really be credited for but something they just got away with, luckily or fortunately, because no one realized or discovered that what they accomplished had no “real value.” Because of that, in their mind, they saw themselves as mere pretenders – impostors so to speak, since they believed that they were recipients of accolades they did not really deserve.
Don’t get confused between true impostors and those who are suffering from the impostor phenomenon. A good illustration might be two authors seen by the reading public as both successful. One is an impostor – the truth is he actually employed a ghost writer in coming up with his work. The other author, who is afflicted by the impostor phenomenon, actually wrote the book for which he is being acclaimed but inwardly, he believes that the book is actually mediocre and does not deserve the distinctive reviews it is getting. One author is a real fake while the other thinks he is a fake.
What’s the importance of knowing that there is such a thing as an “impostor phenomenon?” Well, because the psychologist who discovered it found out that it is not a rare occurrence, it could be that without realizing it, you are in fact suffering from the impostor phenomenon.
Here are possible signs that you could be in it:
1. You often shy away from challenges you know you can handle because of a persistent doubt on your ability to do so.
2. You received an award or citation and you felt guilty about it because you believed there were others in your group who deserved the award better than you.
3. You have a talent that others notice and are encouraging you to develop but you downplay the whole thing claiming that it is really “nothing.”
4. You are threatened even by constructive criticism because inwardly you recognize it as a validation of the fact that you are inept.
5. You think your accomplishments are merely the result of luck such as being in the right at the right time on your part.
6. When you have succeeded in doing something, you somehow entertain the thought that you might not be lucky the next time around.
The more situations you can identify with above, the more the possibility that you are suffering from the impostor phenomenon.
What to do about it? Well, there is really nothing much you can do about it. While psychologists have identified it as an actually existing psychological phenomenon, they have stopped short from considering it as a psychological disease that needed to be cured. In fact its occurrence has been observed with people normally considered as successful, e.g, CEOs, academicians with high educational attainment, accomplished artists, etc. ( I suppose there is no point feeling like an impostor if you are a “failure.”)
However, it can affect the way you enjoy your own life. Outwardly people see you as “successful” but inwardly you doubt that and so at a very subjective level you are subjecting yourself to unnecessary mental suffering.
Should you find yourself identifying with any of the above or similar situations, the best thing to do is to simply recognize it as a probable manifestation of the impostor phenomenon. As such, it has no real bearing with who you are and what you can do. Suspend your self doubt and believe that other peoples’ positive perception of you and your accomplishments are valid. Basically, that’s all you need to propel yourself to more accomplishments.
