My weekly emails are for you if you want a transformational SHOT OF POSITIVITY that makes you think, gets you laughing, and sparks a positive change. Start each week inspired.
The day my voice failed me (and what it taught me about me & YOU)
|
Hey Reader ! Thanks for the warm welcome back to your inbox. I want to take you back in time with me to a moment that changed how I understand the "operating system" of our minds. I’m a college freshman. I’ve brought my love of singing to school, joining the choir and a cappella groups.
A friend who lives near Busch Gardens in Virginia wants to audition for the summer cast. She begs me to audition with her. I’ve been a soloist for years and won several competitions, but I have no idea what is expected of a professional "cast member."
I'm a busy student, so I don't prepare. I’m confident in my skills, I pick a song I know, and we drive two hours to the Richmond auditorium.
Then, reality hits.
We sit for hours watching other young people step onto the stage. Most have vocal coaches with them. They aren’t just singing; they are performing.
I realize I am woefully out of my depth. My friend withdraws her name in a panic. I’m left standing there. Do I even want this?
They call my name. I walk to the stage. I sing for less than two minutes, and they dismiss me.
The Verdict: I showed up as a singer; they were casting performers. In that moment, I became the "imposter" I was terrified of being.
Reader, that was one of my earliest encounters with Imposter Syndrome. Growing up near Cincinnati, I loved the rides at King's Island, but I wasn't a "musical theater kid." I was truly out of my depth, and the internal story I brought with me—that my voice alone was "enough"—shattered the second I saw the competition. This is how the "Human Operating System" hijacked my results: THOUGHTS: "I’m not as good as them," "I’m not prepared," "I don't belong here". FEELINGS: Fear and unworthiness flooded my mind, triggering my "fight-or-flight" response. ACTIONS: Adrenaline strangled my vocal cords. My voice was weak and breathy. RESULTS: I was an easy "no" for the casting team. Imposter Syndrome is simply an unreliable internal story of unworthiness that shapes—and limits—your life. I could have used those hours of waiting to step into the moment, but instead, I let my inner critic build a cage around my potential. This week, I’m giving you a "Permission Slip" to stop telling yourself you are unworthy. Use this Narrative Reset tool to jailbreak your brain whenever you feel like a fraud:
For more tips on overcoming the "fraud mindset" and finding resiliency, listen to this week’s conversation with Dalia Feldheim, author of Dare to Lead Like a Girl, on The Story I’m Telling Myself podcast. Have an awesome week! |
Rita Ernst, Positivity Influencer
My weekly emails are for you if you want a transformational SHOT OF POSITIVITY that makes you think, gets you laughing, and sparks a positive change. Start each week inspired.
Hey Reader! 👋 Vacation was awesome. I got plenty of sunshine, fresh air, exercise, and rest. So the sudden twinge in my right knee is really throwing me. I can't think of anything I've done to injure myself. I decide to do three things: Limit my pickleball play time Put new insoles in all my athletic shoes Use my PT app to work on my knee pain I've had great success using my TENS unit during pickleball matches to prevent my calf muscle from seizing, so I decide to give it a try on my knee. It...
Hey Reader! 👋I'm back! Did you miss me? I’m sitting here on the balcony this morning, looking out over the surf, and I’ve been stuck on a single thought: The wave always wins. Right now, I’m watching a set roll in. There’s a surfer about fifty yards out, perfectly poised. He’s not fighting the water; he’s reading it. He feels the swell building behind him, matches its momentum with a few deep paddles, and then—in one fluid motion—he pops up. He’s carved a line right across the face of the...
Hey Reader! 👋 Happy Wednesday! (Let's just pretend it's Monday) It's been an outstanding, busy week, and I'm just getting a chance to write to you. It's Friday. My husband is at the wheel, and I am a passenger on a road trip through the heart of Indiana. My laptop is open, my head is down, and I am deep in thought. I'm mapping out the Human-Centered Leadership (HCL) program content I'm delivering on Monday morning, and I'm feeling the pressure to get it done. Outside the window, a cloudy...