As someone who has wrestled with imposter syndrome for many years, and reached a crisis with it, I’ve become very attuned to when I see others dealing with it.
The reality is that it’s almost everyone.
The biggest tell for me is when I hear people dismiss amazing things they’ve done from their past. Everyone has an incredible story, if they saw it that way.
I’m a strong believer that everyone has a powerful memoir within them. You’ve lived an amazingly varied life, and have the scars to show for it as well.
I’m only now prepared to tackle my next chapter, which I’ve declared will be my greatest chapter, because I’ve come around in my own thinking to understand how my past has made me who I am and gives me the unique toolsets to tackle what’s next.
Here are some tricks and tools you can use to start to unlock your own powerful past. Do any or all of them:
What is your autobiography in only 6 words?
What would a 150 word blurb on the back of your autobiography look like, if written in the style of a New York Times best seller?
Starting from your current point in your life, create the outlines of chapters of your autobiography. What is the title of that chapter? Who are the main characters of that chapter? What are the main themes and take-aways of that chapter? Then proceed to go backwards, a chapter at a time, until early childhood.
What would you call your book?
Understanding your own powerful story is the first step with creating your next powerful chapter.
