I’ve found that our testimonies help to encourage one another, and I have to tell you that’s exactly what I needed this week. I needed a little bit of encouragement, and the Lord is so faithful and so kind. He did just that.

I had the opportunity to be featured on Alli Worthington’s post, Women Worth Following, and I was incredibly humbled and grateful. There are millions of women that she could have chosen to feature, but your girl was on the list this month. And imposter syndrome felt like she was, too.

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Imposter Syndrome Showed Up…As Usual

If you’re unfamiliar with Alli Worthington, she’s a bestselling author, a business coach, an incredible preacher of the word, and someone you should follow. That being said, being recognized by someone who has done so many things I want to do as well felt like a big deal. When I saw the list, I freaked out even more because I literally follow a couple of the women legitimately.

I felt like I was living the social media dream for a moment (a very brief, short-lived moment). Until my old friend imposter syndrome showed up. Does anyone ever realize that she always waits until we’ve reposted or shared something before showing her face?

Anyway, within moments of reposting the article and sitting down to lead a meeting for The Colorfully Candid Collective, I began to doubt my integrity or lack thereof. Daylight savings time had beaten me up, and it was painfully obvious. My greasy face and bathrobe felt a little out of place for the leader, even among a group of relaxed leaders winding down for the evening.

Thoughts like, ‘Girl, bye! Who is going to follow you? I’m surprised these women are even working with you!’ flooded my mind, and naturally, they only made me that much more self-conscious. I was not someone you should be following.

And you might be the same way.

Have you ever felt like something has made you question your right to belong? Whether or not you really deserve the accomplishment or the acknowledgment? Have you ever felt like you were faking anything?

That’s the definition of imposter syndrome. It causes us to question our ability to perform specific jobs successfully. And it really makes us think that we will be identified as an imposter as a fraud one day.

Imposter Syndrome Has Stolen My Favorite Memories for the Last Time

It is incredibly, incredibly unhealthy. And I’m telling you, imposter syndrome has stolen some of the best years. In my favorite memories. In my life.

It’s true. I’d had a stressful week. One where I doubted everything I posted. One where I’d felt exhausted from the effect of daylight savings time and one in which I just didn’t feel worthy of someone whom you should follow because my private devotional time had been scattered yet. Again.

My inner thoughts had crowded out my creativity. And imposter syndrome was working overtime to steal that moment. However, it’s also true that God has my heart. I’m doing everything I can to convince others He is worth following.

It’s true that even when I don’t say everything right and I talk a little too much. However, I hope that I’m always showing others that they are necessary and make this world so much more beautiful.

We are the Same.

We are the same, and we have an intense desire to lead with integrity. We want to

• be the women we say we are behind the scenes and in front of people.
• celebrate others as we love hard.

I want you to know that it is for that very reason you are a woman worth following. I don’t ever want you to feel ashamed when other people acknowledge that because imposter syndrome has no place here.

There are so many things that we could do differently in any given week, including the one we are in. We will always have opportunities to look back on our choices and question them, but we don’t have to choose that option.

We can invite God to show us the encouragement to keep going that he so lavishly pours out over each of us. I firmly believe that our Heavenly Father, our Daddy, is an encourager.

The Greatest Encourager

I believe that He’s the best encourager, and I believe He gets excited when we move forward. I believe he gets excited when we walk in our purpose. And that He looks for opportunities to partner with others to encourage our hearts.

Instead of allowing imposter syndrome to steal your moment this week, I want you to accept God’s invitation to help you see how pleased He is.

Delight in His love. Think about it, smile on it, and choose to refuse any need to downplay those opportunities a little more to enjoy them. Feel the joy radiating from heaven as it fills your soul. Your Daddy is pleased with you.

SIS, you are a woman worth following.

But sometimes, when we’re exhausted, we can lose focus on the amazing opportunities in front of us and allow that exhaustion to influence us to think negatively about them. Thankfully, Dr. Sandra Dalton Smith’s book Sacred Rest is helping me in this area, and I believe it can help you.

She recommends that we practice the 20-20-20 rule by taking time every 20 minutes to view something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Take a twenty second break every 20 minutes to view something at least 20 feet away. It’s gonna help you unplug.

It’s gonna help you test your sensory responses to see what could be draining you. And it’s going to help you identify the opportunities that you have to feel re-invigorated. And I hope that you know, you are doing a great job. And it’s my prayer that you will share this podcast by taking a screenshot of it and posting it in your story.

I believe that this is going to be your week. If you have not yet tapped into The Colorfully Candid Collective, you should. It is my new favorite place on the internet. It’s one where you will find other women who are not only worth following but who are looking for opportunities to partner with God to encourage your heart.