💌 Feeling imposter syndrome? You're not alone.

Hi friend!

Did you know that imposter syndrome is incorrectly named?

It was supposed to be imposter experience.

Coined in 1978 by two psychologists, Suzanne Imes and Pauline Clance, imposter syndrome is described as:

“an internal experience of intellectual phoniness”

Imposter syndrome first came on my radar as a wee software engineer over a decade ago.

🤔 Oh, that reluctance to ask someone for help because they’d realize I didn’t know anything?

💥 BAM. Imposter syndrome.

🤔 Keeping my things packed up at work in case they found me out and fired me?

💥 BAM. Imposter syndrome.

Maybe I’m not smart enough. Prepared enough. Good enough.

But get this.

Imposter syndrome affects everyone.

Clance (the Clance who created the term!) said:

“If I could do it all over again, I would call it the imposter experience, because it’s not a syndrome or a complex or a mental illness, it’s something almost everyone experiences.”

Introducing….the imposter experience👏

It’s actually kind of beautiful - a shared experience of being a phony 😭.

A kinship of mild paranoia and yearning to be enough.

I love that.

Other happenings:

If you need a sign to talk to me, here it is. Thank you Heather 🎉 This made my week and is now a permanent fixture in my “feel good” folder. Let’s chat.

The 10 Friend Challenge came to a close.

Am I glad? Welp, a little.

It was more work than I anticipated!

In the end though, it was all worth it 🥰 .

Here are a few responses to: share something positive that happened this week in relation to connection or friendship.

Shoutout to Noelle for writing this super sweet note.

Have you tried breathwork before?

A class where you learn how to breathe? I scoffed the first time I heard this.

But! I tried it this week. Life changing? Naw. Would I go again? Yes. It was great for quieting down my mind and calming my energy.

As always! Rooting for you,

❤️ Sarah

Loving:

😄 my little mint plant growing in the living room. we used fertilizer and now it’s going everywhere and anywhere.

🎵 I listened to this song en route to my weightlifting class. A classic! I immediately feel like I’m in sunshine. And Idris Elba? C’mon.

Start With Hello is a letter of quips, tips, and stories for the always curious. It’s written by Sarah, a coach, founder, and Sushi Go aficionado. I offer 1:1 coaching for women in tech and if you’re in a rut, I’ve got you - book a consultation. Please pass this along to a friend if they’d find it interesting AND have a brilliant day⚡️.