Has a part of you ever felt like you’re a fraud or not truly worthy of the respect or admiration that others give you? Do you shrug off compliments because it’s hard to receive them?

At times throughout my life, I felt like an imposter or a fraud, and it left me feeling small and broken.

At other times, receiving compliments about me or my work made me incredibly uncomfortable. It was as if a part of me wanted to give back the kind words because I didn’t believe I deserved them. Back then, I believed that if people saw what went on inside me, they’d know the truth about me. That I was flawed, damaged, unworthy.

The impact of feeling unworthy

When we feel like we’re not “enough,” or we struggle to accept our exceptional—and even our average—qualities, it keeps us from stepping into our lives in new ways. It keeps us small. We hold ourselves back.

Those inadequate feelings kept me from being more outgoing in social situations. They kept me quiet about all the hard work and joy that my business brought me. At times, they made it hard for me to fully hear and receive compliments.

Looking back, I can remember times when the conversation shifted people’s attention to me. I can feel the discomfort I felt then in my body: a tightening in my chest. an urge to disappear or deflect that attention to someone else. A part of me thought, “If they really knew me, and all the ways I’ve screwed things up, they’d never say that.” A part of me would make the compliment bounce right off me, instead of allowing their words into my heart and my soul.

When we feel inadequate or like an imposter or fraud in our own lives, it’s usually because a part of us internalized those feelings at a young age. Maybe a part of us believes that to accept a compliment makes us vain, or egotistical, or shameful.

Maybe a part of you is sure that the “real you” is embedded in all the mistakes and screw-ups. The accomplishments? The successes? They’re just luck.

How are your limiting beliefs and your low sense of self-worth holding you back?

What it’s like to live more fully

Imagine moving toward accepting all of you—the successes and the imperfections. Imagine saying to yourself or someone else, “Thank you, I receive that compliment,” and allowing the kind words of others flow into your heart with openness.

I know now that accepting and receiving compliments fills us up and gives something both to us and to the person validating us. It builds connection.

I’ve learned that although I’ll make mistakes, that’s only a small part of me. My flaws and imperfections, along with my successes, make me who I am—a perfectly imperfect messy human.

To live fully and authentically and with purpose means we’re also fully and authentically loving ourselves. That shift from feeling like an imposter to embracing yourself with care, love and compassion can happen! You feel it in your core.

Let’s get you started on a new path back to you, your true home. You can book your 90-minute Awaken Your Wise Woman session here.

Photo by @beccatapert—Unsplash