Imposter Syndrome is an interesting concept that I’ve been introduced to recently. It’s when a person who looks VERY capable and intelligent to the outside world doesn’t feel that way about themselves. In fact, they lack confidence in their abilities, work very hard to cover that, and feel like they are going to be found out to be a fraud if they don’t. What they are doing to “cover” is something your average person either can’t do or wouldn’t. They stay up late researching things they think they need to know, they study, they put effort in, and the outside world responds with gold stars, A+ grades, praise, and job promotions. People call them “talented” but inside they know (or believe) they’re anything but that. After all, they had to work hard to achieve what they achieve. A really smart or talented person, they think, would do it with ease.
Sometimes this comes about when a person from a different background, class, or race finds themselves in a situation where people like them are rarely found. The need to over-compensate can take over as the person does whatever they think they have to do to “fit in” or be accepted. It creates a harsh reality—all work, no play, and very little inner reward for the effort as well.
Ironically, when I first started thinking about this, I came across a novel called “The Art Forger” in the Little Free Library at our nearby park. It’s about a female artist who developed the skill of being able to do highly exacting reproductions of famous works of art by hand. In the everyday world, this skill is highly praised by others. “Omg,” people say. “Your work is like a photograph! You’re SO talented!” But in the high end art world, this is not considered to be “art” at all. Hence, the imposter syndrome, this time enforced by outer critics . . . another way that inner lack of confidence can set in.
When I think about this syndrome, I think about Larch as the appropriate flower essence since it is for people who lack confidence about how their efforts will be received by others. But more recently, I discovered that without Rock Water, Larch might not be good enough.
Rock Water flower essence is used to help people relax overly rigid standards for themselves. It helps you stop being so hard on yourself. People often think that Rock Water is for those who have highly moralistic “holier than thou” standards, but that’s not always the case! Those same rigidly high standards can be a survival strategy . . . or a wanting to avoid hell strategy. (In fact, in my opinion, it usually is.) The truth is that you don’t have to give up having high ideals, but you also don’t need to be perfect to be good enough! “Good enough is good enough” is a motto I used to put on the wall near my desk. And believe it or not, good enough IS good enough. (It just doesn’t feel that way, if you have Imposter Syndrome.)
So, that said, developing a sense of humor about life couldn’t hurt either! So add Zinnia flower essence into the mix for having a more light-hearted and joyful approach to life. And now you have the ingredients for my “Comfort and Joy” flower essence formula . . . created for helping people like me loosen up, have better expectations about the future, and just enjoy themselves more in the present. When I use that formula I don’t feel immediately joyful — I feel calmer, more at ease and relaxed. I feel more comfortable at the tables I sit at, more comfortable in my skin, and as time goes by that translates into enjoying my life more and more. I highly recommend it!
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Flower essences are used to assist with mind-body-spirit interactions and individual results may vary. They are extremely dilute which makes them quite safe. But because so little physical substance can be detected in a flower essence solution, these products are presumed to work on an energetic or vibrational level—something that cannot be adequately tested by western scientific methods. Claims made by me, therefore, are based on personal experiences and the evidence of the combined multiple decades of case notes by Dr. Edward Bach as well as Healing Herbs and Flower Essence Services (the companies who make the ingredients I use in my products). This is not, however, accepted medical evidence or substantiated scientific evidence from a modern allopathic point of view. I am not a medical doctor or licensed healthcare practitioner.
Statements made have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided on my blog, websites or by this company are not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a health care provider, and should not be construed as individual medical or mental health advice. Consulting with a health care provider is a must for anyone taking medications or working with a medical or mental health condition, and highly recommended before using any herbal product. Please consult your doctor or health care provider for any possible contraindications and/or interactions with current medications. I trust you to seek the medical guidance you need to use any of my herbal products healthily at your own risk.