Hello everyone, thank you for being here and for your continued support. Today I will be completely humble and share with you what has been happening behind the scenes. My hope is that by speaking my truth, it will inspire you, or at the very least, entertain you!
The Confession…
Since deciding to no longer practice real estate as a full-time agent, things have been, well, less clear. Granted, I feel the slower pace is necessary to promote a time of reflection and growth, it can at times feel a bit aimless. Many of you have reached out to me after reading my newsletters and have asked about my new business and, honestly speaking, I have had some trepidation trying to provide the answer. The truth is that the direction I am taking is not completely defined just yet. Ironically, when I started this journey, I set out to help those in this exact position. I wanted to help others get clear about their desires and help direct their passion.
The Intention…
When training to be a certified life-coach, I had it in mind that I wanted to help people like me; people who have felt that nagging feeling that it may be time to take their passion in another direction. Professionals who were afraid that such a sharp turn may not be taken seriously by their audience. Fast forward to today; I have created the necessary space to begin anew but still feel a bit paralyzed. Why am I telling you this? Because I believe that vulnerability is our superpower and, because “imposter syndrome” is real, it can be debilitating, and I would like to think we have all encountered it at one time or another!
The Issue…
If you are not familiar with the term “imposter syndrome”, here is a brief description compliments of Google: “The persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.” Or, in my case, the inability to believe that I can step into a new space and be seen as credible. So how are these feelings reconciled? That is a big question, and the answer is, “it depends”. Because many different scenarios can spark these feelings within anyone, how they are dealt with will vary.
My Solution…
Now that I have a name for this phenomenon, I can look back and see all the different times it surfaced in my life. From my first job promotion when I was just a teenager to becoming a parent for the first time. The feeling of having no business embarking on new and challenging experiences only faded with time and practice, which fostered a greater sense of confidence. Back when I first became a real estate agent, I recall vividly feeling like everyone knew I was “green”. Those thoughts could become crippling so instead, I focused on what I loved – the people! Connecting with others is what lit me up (and still does). Focusing on caring for my clients is what helped me to overcome those feelings of unworthiness. Because I believe personal growth is always ongoing, today it is still a work in progress!
What Progress Looks Like…
I would like to take a moment to answer the questions about what I have been doing these days. Recently, I have signed up as a teacher on a popular meditation application called “Insight Timer”. I have recorded a couple of guided meditations and plan to edit them and get them posted to the app. I have also been working on developing a coaching program for others like me who may be feeling a bit stuck and just need that extra nudge. On top of that, I have been trying to perfect my website; not to mention I have written several articles that will eventually be posted to said website. What is the hold up? Admittedly – perfectionism! Which, of course, is a symptom of our topic at hand. Not only am I writing this article today as a confession, but also as a kind of accountability. By announcing my plans, it helps to keep me on track as well. After all, I tend to be a people pleaser and I wouldn’t want to let you all down – oh, but I think that may be the subject of another article for another day!
In Summary…
Although it may feel debilitating to encounter imposter syndrome, as always, awareness is the key! Once the issue is brought into the light, it becomes a choice whether to stay stuck or push through. Wow! Who knew that writing this newsletter would be like my own personal therapy session?! If you have read this far, please know how much your support means to me and thank you for your time!
Feel free to reach out and let me know your thoughts or just to say hello! I always love to hear from you!
Kind regards, Adriana