Stop fooling yourself.
People get so plagued with this “syndrome” that it becomes the reason why they live in misery. Especially with people who think that their role in life is tied to their performance or to what they know are especially vulnerable.
What you are is not at all tied to anything.
People who have “imposter syndrome” are simply conceptualizing their sense of lack through an idea. They are trying to pattern match what they feel with an idea that they think is somewhat related.
Its not.
What is it that is exactly wrong? This feeling isn’t around all the time but only during parts of the day, maybe when working or something else. It almost seems to come around like clockwork, almost like its a habit.
A habit.
Please be open to the possibility that this “imposter syndrome” is merely the matter of prior conditioning. Whenever this feeling comes by to pay you a visit, it is important to realize its just a memory.
Try to isolate your feeling of lack and try to go back in time when you first started to feel that way? Usually when you were super young or during a traumatizing event.
Now consider if that past feeling is any different than the current feeling? Most of the time its the exact same feeling, no different and still sucks.
This should tell you something. The fact that you are essentially reliving that past memory, now. That initial incident has conditioned not only your thoughts but your feelings and even body to react a certain way.
This memory is not indicative of your current experience, it is a superimposition. In other words, its no more real than the Easter bunny.
That memory you had, the awful one that made you feel this way has burned itself into the inner working of your body. Most people identify heavily with the body and as a result are limited by that memory.
However,
Look at a memory, does it have any reality in this present moment? A memory exists in the mind but does it have any reality?
IT DOESN’T
You’ve been duped by a memory that in itself has no tangible reality. It is yet another appearance to you which is no different than looking at a tree outside or thinking about the sky.
Story:
There was a poor man who spent his time washing the clothes of people in his village down by the river. He would walk each morning to people’s homes asking to do their laundry for some money and he would take their clothes and load it onto his donkey.
On this particular day, down by the river, he forgot the rope to tie his donkey to the tree. He was devastated and a onlooker walking by stopped to see what was wrong. “What’s wrong?” the onlooker asked. “I left the rope to tie my donkey at home, and I live over a day’s walk away. I am ruined.” the poor man replied.
“OK, do one thing. Pretend to tie your donkey up and you will be fine but ensure you go through the motion and make sure it watches.” the man replied.
So the poor man went through the motions, pretending to tie his donkey to the tree while ensuring that the animal was watching his every move. He then went to work hesitantly, taking the time to check in and ensure the donkey remained. To his utter surprise, the donkey stayed in the same spot the whole day without moving anywhere. The poor man managed to complete all his work and headed back to his ride where it still remained.
“OK lets go home!” the man shouts to the donkey. However, the donkey won’t move. Not an inch.
The man again despairs over his new predicament, how can he get home with the clothes if the donkey won’t move. He looks for the onlooker who gave him the advice to pretend to tie the donkey to the tree. He finally finds him resting by a tree nearby.
“Sir, you have put me in such a predicament. My donkey won’t move even though there is no rope tied around it.” the poor man cries.
“Don’t worry, my friend. Just pretend to untie it and make sure that the donkey sees it. Go through the motions and you will be well on your way home.” the onlooker replied.
The poor man goes over to his donkey and pretends to untie the donkey, ensuring that the donkey watches at each point. Going through the motions that he would normally do with a real rope.
“OK! Lets go home.” the poor man shouts. The donkey then gets up and proceeds to walk home.
You are the donkey and this feeling of lack and memory is the imaginary rope that binds you to the tree. You were never bound by anything, you just believed you were.
Take this lesson as you would like but within it is the key to escape your suffering.
Clarity.
