Hey, Friends!
Have you ever felt like you’ve done something great, only to have imposter syndrome rear its ugly head?
Let’s talk about it.
When I wrote my first book, I had nothing to lose. The only fear I had was the general fear of failure. There was nothing specific to tie it to, so it was easy to ignore.
Fast forward. When Not Quite Snow White did relatively well, I was thrilled. When it went through multiple prints and became a part of the Scholastic Book Fair, I felt an unspeakable joy. I’d made it. I was a writer.
Then, it was over. The interviews and social media attention were no more. It was time to write the next book, but things were different. That general, dismissible fear said, “It’s Morphin’ Time,” and there I was left to face a colorful array of doubts and insecurities.
Multiple Rejections. Incomplete Drafts. Blank pages. I thought these all led to that truth I’d been avoiding. Maybe the success of my first book really was a fluke. Fortunately, feelings aren’t facts. Even if I couldn’t control my degree of success, I was still in control of me—the me that loved stories and the feeling when a turn of phrase hit just right. I could also control the way I thought about things and my own actions.
Here’s what I did to make a liar out of my unproductive feelings and truly recognize that my success wasn’t a fluke:
I redefined success on my own terms.
I practiced intentional appreciation.
I showed up for ME.
With that, I learned how to show up for the Ashley who loved writing even if the words might not reach beyond her own eyes. I learned to be my own biggest cheerleader in any situation.
The truth is, not showing up for yourself doesn’t make a situation go away. You may actually be prolonging your progress and sabotaging your success. You know what I mean?
My question to you is this: How will you identify and embrace success this week?
It’s my hope that over the next seven days, you will find yourself feeling less stressed and more blessed & highly favored.
Let’s chat again next Sunday.
-Ash