So today let's talk about the fear of being exposed.
I'm sure you know the feeling.
You're in the room on a call,
In the conversation,
And there's something that you don't know.
A question you could ask,
A clarification that you might need.
But suddenly in the back of your head,
Suddenly the story kicks in.
If I don't know this,
Maybe I don't belong here.
Oh man,
Maybe I've been found out.
It's such a human fear.
It's one I struggle with.
The fear of exposure,
Of being seen as less competent,
Less polished,
Less worthy.
So let's pause here for a moment.
Take a slow breath in and let it go.
Notice what happens in your body when you imagine not knowing.
Maybe there's something that you know you don't know.
You can feel it.
Is there tightening in your chest?
Maybe a subtle clench in the jaw?
It's okay,
Just observe it.
We don't have to fix it.
We often tie our worth to knowing something,
To being the one with answers,
To being impressive.
Somewhere along the way,
Our competence became our identity.
Let's take another breath here.
Inhale,
Exhale,
And think about this.
What if this discomfort isn't proof that you're a fraud,
But instead it's evidence that you are expanding?
Expansion stretches,
It feels awkward,
And it exposes edges that you didn't know were there.
And being mid-upgrade isn't glamorous,
It's vulnerable,
It feels vulnerable.
And like Brene Brown once said,
Vulnerability is not winning or losing,
It's having the courage to show up when you can't control the outcome.
So today,
Maybe try to ask a little sooner.
Maybe ponder asking a little less.
Let yourself be seen learning,
Growing.
You don't have to arrive fully formed.
You are allowed to grow,
And that is more than enough.
Thank you so much for joining me.
