How can we beat the impostor syndrome
My biggest fear in this world? It’s me.
Quite a statement I know, but after years of placing myself in "victim mode" many times over, I have finally come to accept that I am actually creating my own reality at all times. So really, any “fear” I experience is just my interpretation of the situation or thing that I am fearing. I find it comforting and mind-blowing in equal measure.
We are all so powerful, every single one of us.
Our minds and bodies are wondrous things that we often don’t give enough credit to. Nearly all of us have used and abused them at some point in our lives - be it with yo-yo dieting, over-indulgent nights out or working ourselves to the bone in pressurised environments and often reaching burnout trying to keep it all together. Yet we continue on, we push through, we overcome challenges, and we often come out smiling.
The pressure of society is great. But we are greater.
I have been hugely hard on myself by not recognising some of my own successes and diving straight onto the next thing without so much as a little bit of praise or acknowledgment to myself because in truth, giving yourself a pat on the back seems a bit daft and pointless, doesn’t it?
But it’s not, it's actually the opposite. It’s a way of communicating with ourselves and that is hugely important.
Our internal dialogue and our self-image dictate our mood and performance in all areas, however, we have been conditioned to believe that it is external factors - people, places, things - that run our days. It's simply not true. It's a poor mindset, and being reliant on external forces takes our power away - which every single one of us has in abundance - we were all born with it.
So in celebration of International Women's Day, take a moment this weekend to focus on yourself and to give yourself the attention and recognition that you deserve. Focus on you and all the things that make your great; revisit your past successes and reimagine the abundance of power that lies within you, and once you're all fired up on that, start writing out your future.
I strongly believe that if we can get ourselves to a place of true confidence that comes from the inside, then we can live to our full potential and achieve anything that we put our minds to.
And it is this cast-iron belief that led me to write my book #NoFilterNeeded and break it all down to show just how easy it is for all of us to do, and more so, how important it is that we do. We always have a choice, and we choose the way in which we respond to things outside of us. It's not always easy mastering the art of making good ones but if we keep at it then we strengthen our abilities to chose better and create a more fulfilling and satisfying life for ourselves.
About the author
Camilla Collins is a renowned make-up and beauty artist. Her book #NoFilterNeeded goes on sale on the 8th March 2020, questioning the global beauty industry, social media, and even the book readers. The book encourages bravely taking your life in your hands and living for yourselves, rather than trying to satisfy peers’ expectations; it permits you to make your own choices, even if not the best ones, and shows how you can come out of troubles with glory if you listen to your heart and are honest with yourself. To find out more about Camilla, visit her website, or follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.