By Leighana Martindale

Have you ever had that feeling that you’re not supposed to be somewhere or doing something? That ‘fake it till you make it” mindset, that feeling of being a fraud or “found out”?

Well, you are not alone. This is known as imposter syndrome and many people face this, especially women.

Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud".

This syndrome tends to foster feelings of inadequacy which takes a toll on your mental health over time. In my experience with this, I usually deal with this when I have a new and large project I have never completed before or when I’m in a meeting with the ‘Big Boys’. It can be hard to pull yourself out of that mindset when it happens, especially if it’s something you face often.

Being in a room or a situation that you have little to no expertise or knowledge in is stressful, but recently I’ve made a realization that helps me and I hope helps you:

Trust the Universe!

No one gets put into a project or room unless they are meant to be there. Trust the Universe!! Even if you fail, it brought you there for a reason. While you may not know the answer in that moment, trust that you’re learning a lesson. Even if you don’t have expertise in a room full of people who do, you’re probably bringing a fresh perspective that others just don’t have.

Change the room!

For a lot of women, I know their feelings of inadequacy come from the people already in the room. Now, this isn’t to say people already in the room are bad! But have you ever thought that maybe you were brought there to help change the status quo?

This is especially true for those who bring more diversity to the room. Don’t feel small, trust you were brought there for the greater good of whatever the situation may be. You’re not a fake, and instead of feeling like that, own it! Own that you are bringing a new and fresh perspective to the mix. Own the fact that you were meant to do this or at the very least, learn a lesson from it.  

Get High & Reflect

In my experience people who face imposter syndrome are actually complete and total badasses. So slow down for a second, take some CBD, smoke a joint, do what you need to do and reflect.

• How much amazing stuff have you accomplished?

• How much effort and hard work are you putting in?

Probably a lot, for both of these questions. So don’t be so hard on yourself, as long as you try your hardest and do the best you can, then you deserve to be celebrated! Don’t ever think you’re not enough and that you don’t have anything to offer, because baby you do!

You are not an imposter, you are a room changer.