How Women Can Crush Self-Doubt and Use Their Authentic Selves to Thrive on Their Life Journey

I thought that I would devote this first episode to diving into some of the things that women often experience that causes them to feel stuck in their journey as a woman. 

It is something that women deal with often.  

Some call it imposter syndrome, but THAT is a fallacy. Women are not imposters. They have often earned their place at the table. Syndrome implies that they are possibly disordered. 

As we grow as human beings, we sometimes feel uncertain or feel uncomfortable. That is normal! 

Although some call this imposter syndrome, let's be clear, an impostor is intentional in presenting something that is fake. While some might fake it to make it, most women are genuinely channeling who they are but experience some discomfort based on societal expectations of who society thinks we should be. That is not imposter syndrome. It is simply a wager between what some believe we should be and who we truly are. 

As the positive growth doctor, I am devoted to helping women, who have been bogged down by societal expectations of who they “should be.” 

We live in a society that pushes us to be faster and better… a better mom, employee, wife. Wait, I meant to say the perfect mom, employee, wife, etc. It is exhausting. Isn’t it? 

I am tired of seeing women struggling to keep up with something that doesn’t exist and seeing women hurting as a result. Enough! It is time to say, “I am done with that!” “And I’m not going back to that!” 

So when it does creep up, and it will, you will be able to shift gears and squash it.

I am meeting myself where I am at and being my authentic self because that is where it is at, right? That is where so many women want to be.

In this episode, I define what contributes to feeling this way. I give you hope that there are options out there to help you dig your way out of this common rut and to thrive on your life journey! It’s all about empowering women along the way. 

Please share the podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 

Being a Modern Woman Isn’t Easy Given High Societal Expectations

As a student in grad school, I was told by my professors that when 4 or more women came together, it was chaotic. There was backbiting and all the stuff. I am here to tell you that assumption is crap!  This paints women in such an ugly way. 

Yes, it does happen, but it is NOT the norm. Women are nurturing. We are strong! We can and do help one another grow!

I belong to a very large group of women entrepreneurs. We support one another and thrive. It is possible! To be fair, entrepreneurs are a rare breed.

However, painting women as chaotic and negative in general is wrong. While there are a few that struggle with this, it is not the norm. I am DONE WITH THAT philosophy. 

What if we were all done with that thinking as women? Whoa, think of the change that could occur? 

Perfectionism destroys women. It destroys us in relation to societal norms, body image, and so much more. 

What Contributes to Women Feeling Frustrated and Stuck?

Sometimes women experience a pattern of doubt about who they are and what they have accomplished. It leads to fear about who they are and what they are capable of. This occurs even when there is evidence that this is not the case. 

As women, we second guess ourselves all the time. So why is that?

It goes back to our version of societal expectations. We have been sucked into the vortex of how we are viewed and what is expected of us. 

 Have you ever felt like, “I’m not smart enough.” “I’m not good enough?” That is what I am talking about! 

Many women who are high level overachievers feel th

Transcript

Welcome to the first episode of the The Positive Growth Doctor Podcast®! I am your host, Dr. Christina Wilson. 

I thought that I would devote this first episode to diving into some of the things that women often experience that causes them to feel stuck in their journey as a woman. 

It is something that women deal with often.  

Some call it imposter syndrome, but THAT is a fallacy. Women are not imposters. They have often earned their place at the table. Syndrome implies that they are possibly disordered. 

As we grow as human beings, we sometimes feel uncertain or feel uncomfortable. That is normal! 

Although some call this imposter syndrome, let's be clear, an impostor is intentional in presenting something that is fake. While some might fake it to make it, most women are genuinely channeling who they are but experience some discomfort based on societal expectations of who society thinks we should be. That is not imposter syndrome. It is simply a wager between what some believe we should be and who we truly are. 

As the positive growth doctor, I am devoted to helping women, who have been bogged down by societal expectations of who they “should be.” 

We live in a society that pushes us to be faster and better… a better mom, employee, wife. Wait, I meant to say the perfect mom, employee, wife, etc. It is exhausting. Isn’t it? 

I was born in the 70’s. I can honestly say that it has been this way for a very long time. It isn’t getting better. So, I am standing up to it!

I am tired of seeing women struggling to keep up with something that doesn’t exist and seeing women hurting as a result. Enough! It is time to say, “I am done with that!” “And I’m not going back to that!” 

So when it does creep up, and it will, you will be able to shift gears and squash it.

I am meeting myself where I am at and being my authentic self because that is where it is at, right? That is where so many women want to be.

That is where I find MY truth!!! My truth is not the same as yours. Every woman is different. Be true to YOU! That is part of the end goal.

In this episode, I define what contributes to feeling this way. I give you hope that there are options out there to help you dig your way out of this common rut and to thrive on your life journey! It’s all about empowering women along the way. 

Find the full transcript for this episode on your favorite podcast app or go to The Positive Growth Doctor YouTube page. 

Please share the podcast with other women to help them grow on their journey through life. 

You can also do this by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I appreciate you! 

Being a Modern Woman Isn’t Easy Given High Societal Expectations

As a student in grad school, I was told by my professors that when 4 or more women came together, it was chaotic. There was backbiting and all the stuff. I am here to tell you that assumption is crap!  This paints women in such an ugly way. 

Yes, it does happen, but it is NOT the norm. So stop acting like it is! Women are nurturing. We are strong! We can and do help one another grow!

I belong to a very large group of women entrepreneurs. We support one another and thrive. It is possible! To be fair, entrepreneurs are a rare breed.

However, painting women as chaotic and negative in general is wrong. While there are a few that struggle with this, it is not the norm. I am DONE WITH THAT philosophy. 

What if we were all done with that thinking as women? Whoa, think of the change that could occur? 

Perfectionism destroys women. It destroys us in relation to societal norms, body image, and so much more. 

One word… Enough!  Everyone together now… Enough! YOU were made for more.

What Contributes to Women Feeling Frustrated and Stuck?

Sometimes women experience a pattern of doubt about who they are and what they have accomplished. It leads to fear about who they are and what they are capable of. This occurs even when there is evidence that this is not the case. 

As women, we second guess ourselves all the time. So why is that?

It goes back to our version of societal expectations. We have been sucked into the vortex of how we are viewed and what is expected of us. 

 Have you ever felt like, “I’m not smart enough.” “I’m not good enough?” That is what I am talking about! 

I have felt this on such a deep level. I lived my life for years with others not getting me because I was neurodivergent. Perhaps that is you. Or it might not be. Others might not get you for other reasons. That is common amongst women.

Many women who are high level overachievers feel this same way. How can that be? 

So if that is you, what happens when you raise your hand to answer a question to find that you were off target?

It happens. So it is deeper than your learning style. We ALL miss the mark at times. That is okay. It is more about mindset. Are you okay with being wrong even though society tells you that you must be right every time? How embarrassing? No, it is okay to be wrong. It IS a learning opportunity. You will have many learning opportunities along the way.

How do women overcome being shot down because they are wrong or off the mark about something? How can women find their authentic voice?

How do you overcome this? First of all, why is it something to overcome in the first place? As a society, we act like it is a sin to not answer something correctly or even misinterpret something when you are learning. That is crap. It is going to happen. 

You don’t know what you don’t know. You might not have gotten the memo, but we are not always right! I know! 

We grow as human beings when we are faced with a challenge. When we are wrong, we  can either be pulled down by shame, or we can realize that there is something to learn. It is an opportunity! 

We can choose to feel ashamed or we can embrace the opportunity and learn from it and grow. What a beautiful thing that is. 

Do You Suffer from Perfectionism, Doubt, or Comparison?

Here is a short quiz to find out. Are you ready?

Let’s explore 5 questions together. Answer each question and determine if it is a) always, b) sometimes, c) rarely, or d) never. 

1. Do you often downplay your achievements, attributing them to luck or external factors?
2. How often do you doubt yourself despite evidence of your success?
3. Do you fear that others will discover you're not as competent as they think?
4. How frequently do you compare your abilities to others and feel inadequate?
5. Do you avoid new challenges due to fear of failure or being exposed as an imposter?

If you had mostly A’s or Always,you fall under High - It's time to challenge your self-doubt and recognize your true worth.

If you had mostly B's, you fall under Moderate - You're aware of your abilities but still struggle with self-doubt.

If you had mostly C's, you fall under Low - You have a healthy level of confidence but can benefit from further self-assurance.

If you had mostly D's, you fall under Minimal - You have strong self-belief and embrace your accomplishments.

Do not feel badly if you are struggling in any way with imposter syndrome. This is common. It is also an example of how our society sees women.

You do not have to stay where you are at. You CAN grow. You can thrive. If you are ready to do so, buckle up. Let’s do this together!

I have created a Facebook group called The Women’s Empowerment Group. 

For women to come together to learn and increase a healthy well-being no matter where you fall on the quiz,  and support one another along the way.

So, join this next level community of women today!

I hope this has helped.

Let's meet up again next week for another episode.