Until You Become It!
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I wanted to share something a little different and a little personal today. My road to enrolling in higher education was a very long and difficult one. Even once I finally made it, I struggled every day to feel worthy of the experience. In my first year, I took an Introductory Psychology course and, as part of an assignment, I was required to watch this video.
If you are a Grey’s Anatomy fan, you may already be somewhat aware of this phenomenon. Basically, the premise is that adopting a power position can help you to exhibit more confidence. I really liked the idea that something so simple that it takes only two minutes could have such a profound effect on performance.
While very interesting, this is not the main purpose that I am sharing today. If you watch until the end, Amy shares her journey to, and through, higher learning. Despite a debilitating car accident, she perseveres not only through any school but also through Princeton, Northwestern, and Harvard University.
This was all thanks to some simple advice she received from an advisory: “Fake it. Take every opportunity you are offered. Just do it, and do it, and do it, over and over even if you are afraid. Even if you are paralyzed, do it until you believe it.”
I have had many days when I felt like I didn’t belong here. Like I was taking a spot in the program from someone more deserving. I had had days when I wanted to quit because it was easier. After all, I was afraid because I didn’t believe in myself. Those days, I just put one foot in front of the other and went through the motions until I got through to the other side.
My important take away from the speech is that these insecurities can strike anyone. Even those that we look up to and admire. When we see these people who are so smart and so talented in their field, it is tough to believe that they ever felt unworthy or unable. The reality is that they probably have. The difference is that they have pushed through with all of the strength and determination they could muster to work hard and earn their place.
I really appreciated her saying it aloud. It is really nice to know that I am not the only one out there that has to play the part some days. What is your biggest insecurity? How do you pull them through?
I would like to be transparent so that there are no misunderstandings. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission from any products linked in this post. This is not a sponsored post, and I was not asked to recommend these products. These are products that I genuinely love and wanted to share with my audience.