I once told a therapist that I was experiencing imposter syndrome and she said, “Oh, so you’re in a job that’s beyond your skillset?”

Way to make it worse, Doc.

For me, imposter syndrome has always manifested as a general feeling of inadequacy, a nagging sensation that I don’t deserve my success. And so I undercut myself in rate negotiation, I applied for jobs that were beneath me, and I stayed in my comfort zone.

Aerial arts helped me learned to abandon that comfort zone. When I watched videos of myself performing or even just training, I realized that(a) I was good and (b) my hard work was paying off. I learned to apply that to other aspects of my life.

I still sometimes look at my work and hate it, but I don’t agonize over showing it to someone else. I no longer assume that I got to where I am through luck. I’ve carved out my own path and I’m successfully taking it.