John was being interviewed about his distinguished career as an anthropologist. He was smart, witty, inciteful. A true professional. The real deal.
Except that he wasn’t.
John was a classmate of mine at a recent conference I attended to hone my public speaking skills. And this was an on-camera exercise he was chosen to participate in.
Even though John was a financial planner, he was told to play the role of an expert anthropologist, despite knowing jack shit about anthropology.
But he was amazing!
Those of us in the audience learned a lot about speaking on camera.
But there was an even more important lesson.
Every single one of us, at one time or another, feels like a fraud. We think we’re not “good enough.” We’re convinced – we’re absolutely certain – that we’ll be “found out” for the inadequate fools we think we are.
No one escapes.
Even those of us who speak on stage.
But watching John “be” the anthropologist with such poise, ease, dignity and grace reminded us all that the stories we tell ourselves about how (we’re convinced) the world will see us (with all of our imperfections) are just that: stories; stories that we make up in our minds.
The truth is that, for the most part, those in the “world” (those you’re absolutely sure will find you out) are much too busy worrying about their own stories of adequacy and worth. And that when you step up to share those gifts that are uniquely yours to share, others are judging themselves far more often than they are judging you.
So be fearless. (Or, as Susan Jeffers says, feel the fear and do it anyway!)
If John can “be the anthropologist,” then I certainly can be me. And you can certainly be you.
And, I dare say, that’s enough.
Excellent reminder of such a powerful experience; thank you for capturing it – and holding space for that thought to change our stories!
Thank you dear Tonia. It was indeed such a powerful experience. And such a gift to spend some time with you!
Great summary, Walt! I was there and that session brought home not only how we can fake it, but rather how we can find in ourselves the precise aspect of our personality that serves our audience. The truth lies in the service, not how we are feeling an imposter! And the imposter thing seems to go with success, while getting in the way of it. Mmmm. Great to meet you in Ft Lauderdale.
SO TRUE, Sean… a wonderful distinction you make. It’s not about our own insecurities, our fragile egos, or whether we are ‘enough.’ It’s about getting out of our own way… and showing up with a servant’s heart. So enjoyed meeting you too!
Thanks for capturing this moment so well. I thoroughly enjoyed the conference & its sometimes difficult to remember all the experiences. This article really took me back to that space where we learnt this valuable lesson. Thanks for writing.
It was amazing, wasn’t it Remya? Such a wonderful lesson. We are not alone!
You just nailed my big take-away, Walt!
I never feel ready. I usually think I need more training, just one more class. Oh, and the next one, surely I need THIS class too! But I am ready and I don’t need more training. I just need to be me!
Thank you for the excellent article.
YES! Just start. There is such power in the starting. And then we can see what we really need to do next. All the hoops with place before ourselves are just ways for us to stay in that cozy warm comfort zone. You have everything you need already. So just start! Thank you for your kind comment!
Would love to see the clip!
It was an amazing Master Class. I didn’t video it. But the lesson was unforgettable.