Hi everyone,
Day 17 of the ’30 Ways To Play With Your Imposter Syndrome’ Challenge.
Today’s theme:
How much proof do you need before you think you’re awesome?
Today’s story:
Why this book cost $18 million
Key quotes:
“A property spruiker who charged investors tens of thousands of dollars to learn “‘how to buy a house for $1”’has been slapped with a record $18 million fine.
The Federal Court handed down the penalty on Thursday after finding last August that Rick Otton and his company We Buy Houses Pty Ltd had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct.
From around 2000, Mr Otton promoted real estate investment strategies through seminars, boot camps and mentoring programs that brought in around $20 million in revenue between 2011 and 2014 alone.
Investors were told they would be taught how to buy a house for $1 without needing a deposit, bank loan or real estate experience, create passive income streams through property and quit their jobs, build a property portfolio and start making profits immediately.”
“Justice Gleeson said she accepted the ‘theoretical possibility of a set of transactions in which the consumer pays $1 only to acquire an option to buy a house and is able to sell the house pursuant to another option without incurring any other costs’.”
‘But there was no evidence before the Court of a single occasion on which this had occurred,’ she added.
‘Further, there is no evidence that the respondents’ strategies can be used to buy a house using little or none of the consumer’s own money, and there are no reasonable grounds to believe that this outcome can or could be achieved.”
Some things really are too good to be true.
A Nigerian prince offering you a zillion dollars…
Buying the Eiffel Tower for a great price…
Buying a house for $1…
… are all probably traps designed to empty your bank vaults, with nothing to show for it.
Imposter syndrome protects you from that trap.
A very specific form of it.
Imagine someone says you’re amazing…
… and you immediately believe them.
Without any hesitation or doubt.
Chances are you’ve jumped to a conclusion too early.
And you become delusional.
You believe that you’re very good, and you completely believe it’s true.
A person like that is easily led astray, by themselves or others.
And this person then promises (or gets promised) something that is far beyond them…
… they crash as a result.
But imposter syndrome allows that hesitation. It allows healthy doubt.
Your imposter syndrome requires more proof before believing in your own skills.
Problem is, when you apply a ‘too good to be true’ mentality to yourself…
… you can overdo it.
Sometimes you miss great opportunities.
Because, if you don’t believe you’re that great, you’re less likely to try things you ARE ready for.
Which leaves you stuck exactly where you are.
Or worse.
When out of control, imposter syndrome can ask for far too much proof.
When even our real-life heroes feel imposter syndrome sometimes…
… regardless of all the proof they are amazing…
… then you can see how that syndrome can ask for too much proof before we believe in ourselves.
Instead, allow wiggle room for ‘reasonable doubt’.
Try this:
Give yourself permission to think ‘it’s pretty good, it might be true’.
When applied to yourself, what this can look like is:
“These people think I’m pretty good at what I do. Maybe I AM pretty good at what I do.”
Often it’s fine to think you MIGHT be pretty good at what you do.
And you know what?
Believing in the CHANCE you’re pretty good… should take FAR less proof than believing you’re definitely the best in the world.
So unless the claims of your skill are that big…
Or the stakes are raised that high…
Then try accepting a lower burden of proof, and allow yourself the CHANCE you might be better than you think.
Earlier this year, I was asked to become the conductor of a choir.
I’ve conducted as a substitute, never as the main person.
I wasn’t sure whether I was ready.
(To be honest, even a few months in, I’m still not sure…)
But I DO have conducting training. I DO have conducting experience.
And a host of other skills, experiences, and training which SUGGESTED I might be able to do the role.
Because of that… I said yes.
And it seems to be going well so far. With positive feedback from people.
Now, am I the BEST at it?
I simply can’t believe that.
But I COULD believe I’m pretty good.
(With room to improve.)
And that’s okay.
So tell me…
… if YOU switched from imposter syndrome’s ‘too good to be true’ mentality…
… to a ‘pretty good, maybe true’ mentality…
… what opportunities open up to you?
What would you allow yourself to do?
Best wishes,
Lucus “My mum thinks I’m cool. Maybe she’s right! ” Allerton
Screenshot proof below:
(You’ll see it only if you have images enabled.)
Taken 2018-11-16 at 11.30.45 am