From Self-Doubt To Unshakeable Confidence

This meditation is designed to help you overcome self-doubt or imposter syndrome and begin accessing your full skills and abilities with greater confidence and ease. You will learn how to go from feeling deficient, criticized or judged to savoring a sense of being fully valued and appreciated for your unique gifts and skills. According to research, “Impostor Syndrome” affects 70% of us. But it tends to hit women especially hard. This meditation will support you in finding unshakeable confidence.

Transcript

Hello there,

My name is Vanessa Loder and today's meditation is designed to help you go from a feeling of deficiency or self-doubt or imposter syndrome to tapping into a sense of being seen and valued and appreciated for your unique gifts and cultivating unshakable confidence.

Research has shown that imposter syndrome affects up to 70% of the population and it tends to hit women especially hard.

In part,

I think this is because,

Especially as a woman leader or in the workforce,

You might look around and there aren't a lot of underrepresented groups in leadership positions,

Whether you're a woman,

Minority,

There aren't a lot of role models.

So perhaps it's natural that we might question or doubt ourselves when we step into these greater roles of leadership.

So the first thing I want everyone to understand is that we come by it naturally and we don't need to beat ourselves up or feel any shame for this.

The other reason a lot of people feel a sense of deficiency or self-doubt is because our culture has propagated this belief that there's a single ideal or gold standard that we should strive for at work,

At home.

There's a gold standard of beauty,

There's a gold standard of success,

And this gold standard is a very narrow definition.

It doesn't leave room for the unique expression of who you are.

So how we're going to be effective as leaders in the new paradigm that's been arising is to deeply understand and value each person's uniqueness,

The particular combination of gifts and strengths that each individual brings to the table.

There is no single standard.

Today's meditation is going to help you tap into the times when you felt seen and valued for who you are as a unique being.

So take a moment and if you're not already,

Find a comfortable seated position,

Allow your eyes to gently close.

Begin to tap into your breathing,

Noticing the rise and fall of your chest or belly as you inhale and exhale,

Allowing your posture to be relaxed and regal.

If you'd like to relax your jaw,

You can move your jaw from side to side or perhaps roll your neck to relax your neck.

As you inhale,

You can visualize or imagine that you're inhaling a calm,

Peaceful energy.

And as you exhale,

Visualize or imagine that you're releasing any tension or stress or worry that you've been holding on to.

Now I'd like for you to tap into your heart center.

If you'd like,

You can place one or both hands on your heart.

When you inhale,

Visualize or imagine that you're sending the breath into your heart center.

And as you do this,

As you stay connected to your heart,

Think of a time in a relationship when someone really saw you,

Appreciated and valued you.

This could be from your childhood,

It could be a teacher or a mentor,

Could be from your work or your personal life.

But calling to mind a time when someone really saw you and appreciated and valued you.

What did that feel like?

What did that make possible for you?

Just notice how that felt in your body.

How did you show up?

And now I'd like for you to contrast that to a time when you felt the opposite,

When you felt not seen or criticized or judged.

Think of a time now when you felt really not seen,

Criticized or judged.

What did that feel like?

What did that make possible in terms of your growth,

Your ability to contribute or to achieve success,

Your contributions?

How did that impact how you showed up?

Now I'd like for you to go back into the first experience of when you felt really seen,

Appreciated and valued.

Again calling that example to mind.

Feeling it in your whole body.

See if you can expand the feeling and savor it.

Imagine that feeling soaking into every cell of your body,

The nucleus of every cell of your body,

What it felt like when you were seen,

Appreciated and valued.

Savor that feeling and imagine it soaking into all the cells of your body.

If you'd like,

You can even create an embodied experience of it by taking on the body posture,

The full shape of what that feels like when you're seen and you're valued and you're appreciated.

For me,

I want to lift my arms in the air in a V shape,

Spread my fingers really wide and actually tilt my head back so that my face is lifted to the sky.

So you could try on that posture or any posture body shape that represents to you this feeling of being valued and appreciated for who you are.

And now from that shape,

I'd like for you to get a short word or a phrase that describes what this feels like.

I am or I feel.

For me,

What comes up is I am free.

I am free to be me.

So the next time you're going to walk into a big meeting or give a presentation or pick up the phone to make an important call,

You can do this power posture for one to two minutes or simply say your unique phrase to call that state of being to mind so that you can show up in your fullness with all of your gifts and unique talents and strengths and abilities.

When I show up in this way,

I bring so much more creativity.

I bring so many more of my the fullness of my gifts,

And I also show up with a lot more playfulness.

So simply notice how you show up when you feel like it's safe and you are seen and valued and appreciated.

Savor those feelings and find ways to experience them more often in your daily life because the world needs you and the special gifts that you have.

Namaste.

Reviews

Thank you, Vanessa! I found this to be very helpful and encouraging. I appreciate your guidance and work! You have my gratitude. 😊

"I am free to be me" 😳 that's exactly it. What an empowering thought, to know that I can be me, and be confident, no matter the circumstances. Quite a simple concept but I needed that to adjust my mindset. Thanks you Vanessa for a powerful meditation.

Thank you so much, this will help me at work tomorrow 😊

Such a great message and daily practice to use as needed!! Thank you.

Wow! This is one of the most divinely empowering meditations I have ever done. Thank you deeply. I feel incredible, whole, confident and in flow with the perfection that is uniquely me. 🙏💖

The message was better than expected! Thank you for this practice. I will listen often. Namaste

Very relaxing. Feel empowered and more at peace with myself. 🙏

Hi Vanessa, thank you so much for this profoundly powerful meditation. Namaste 🙏🏻💖

Profound and powerful. My vibration and energy was immediately raised to a higher level. Thank you. Namaste🙏🏾

I loved the inclusion of somatic/body elements.

Thanks so much! Great to reconnect to the feeling that I’m valued

This was the pep talk I needed this morning. Thank you for the reminder that the world needs my unique gifts. Short but motivating and inspiring. Perfect. Thank you 🙏🏾😊!

I feel strong and alive. Amazing words. Namaste

Lovely experience, great pauses, great vibes thank you <3

Been listening to a heap of imposter syndrome meditations. This one was non nonsense, helpful and didn’t try to force a belief system that is not mine. Excellent

Empowering! Felt my posture change to confidence in this meditation. Thank you, Vanessa!

This is perfect. Such great reminders. I’m participating in a virtual event soon and this was just what I needed!