Imposter Syndrome on 1000% (Update Q&A 2020)

Towards the end of last year, I had a bout with imposter syndrome. Man, did it whoop my behind. It wasn’t the first time and I’ve talked about this before on my channel. During that period, I felt like an imposter, I experienced very painful self-doubt and I was disobedient to God. I was beating myself up about where I was in life versus where I should be and feeling overwhelmed by my long to-do list. I was questioning whether what I do matters, questioning the growth of my business and minimizing my success.

 And I cried. Snotty-nosed, ugly crying.

When we’re in a good place spiritually, we don’t want to entertain the possibility that we could slip up and become hopeless. We want to hold onto hope and the fruitfulness that we are experiencing. But what happens when a trigger catches us off-guard?  We are sure we’d never have to deal with feeling like a fraud again but boom, there you are, back again, feeling anxious and not qualified. Instead of being forgiving towards ourselves and speaking the Word over our lives, we spiral. We wrestle with shame, guilt, embarrassment, anger, exasperation, and defeat. Before you know it, you’re missing deadlines and binging on a series or doing whatever spiraling looks like in your case.

How To Protect Your Mental Health During Emotional Setbacks 

When I am having a hard time mentally and emotionally, I lean on friends and family. It’s important to have people in your corner to listen to you and pray for you when you don’t feel strong enough to pray for yourself.  

In John 11, Jesus shows us how to support those going through a hard time. Lazarus’ sisters sent for Jesus with the message that Lazarus was critically ill and needed Jesus to come and heal him but by the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus was dead.  Jesus could have raised Lazarus from the dead as soon as He arrived but instead, He sat down and grieved with Lazarus’ sisters. He showed human emotion!

People going through emotional struggles, like imposter syndrome, perfectionism, or anxiety, need to feel loved, protected and heard. Then they will be able to let go of those thoughts and emotions and work on feeling empowered. Too often, we are trying to skip over sadness and grief but the bible tells us, in Ecclesiastes 3, there’s a time to weep and a time to laugh.  And support may look like saying, “I am so sorry. I understand. What can I do? Do you need a hug? Can I cook you a meal? How can I support you? How can I pray for you during this time?”  

From the point where they feel loved, where they feel seen, where they feel heard, where they feel protected, will they be able to get back on their feet, speak the word over their life, and move forward.

How I Use Scripture To Overcome Imposter Syndrome

In my video of Imposter Syndrome 1000%, a few minutes in, I share a clip where I recorded myself, crying in bed and having a bad day. I described what I was feeling at the time and how I use scripture to overcome those feelings.

1. I allow myself to experience the emotions and I cry about it and talk about it. It can be hard. The world makes us feel like there’s something wrong with us for feeling that way but let it out.
2. Commanding how I feel with God’s word. So I will quote verses to myself like:
   • John 10:27 – I know that I’m His daughter. I listen to His voice and follow Him.
   • Jeremiah 29:11 – He has a plan and a purpose for me. A plan to prosper me and do me no harm.
   • 2 Kings 20:1-5 – I know that he considers me and He cares about the tears that I am crying right now.
   • Psalm 139:14 – I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He is guiding me and He is directing me.
   • Isaiah 30:21 – He has a plan for me and I just have to put my faith to work.
3. Food! Haha, food is bae, but if you’re an emotional eater or have a food disorder then skip number 3.

Admirable Personalities In The Bible Experienced Imposter Syndrome

You are not alone in struggling with negative emotions. Even the bible greats experienced imposter syndrome! In 1 Kings 19, Elijah had just had this phenomenal victory but as soon as Jezebel started hunting him down, he forgot what he had been able to do through the power of God and was so scared that he wanted to die. 

Time and time again in the bible, we see this scenario repeated with different people who were close to God but doubted Him. But God still had relationships with them and He still used them. So get back up, so that God can use your testimony. If you don’t know, I have two YouTube channels. Go ahead and subscribe to my lifestyle channel and my vlog channel with my husband. Also, follow your girl on Instagram if you want REAL time behind the scenes things on our journey.