There I was, looking back at about 300 pairs of eyes. “Quowam, Dance,” a teacher shouted from behind. It was our annual End of the Year party, and it’s a usual thing for teachers to drag students out at random to entertain “the audience.”
“Won’t you dance?” she shouted again.
While many would think I was shy, I knew that wasn’t the case. It was just pure incompetence. If I tried to dance, they’d probably laugh louder than the music in the background. Anyway, I danced, moving as fast as I could, and ignoring the haters.
However, in some public events, I was that boy who read Ewi (poem), in the Yoruba language. I did this almost every year, until graduation. While my mates were preparing for English dance drama and impressing girls, I was there, battling with poems like “Ise logun ise” (a popular Yoruba poem). To be honest, I was proud of representing my culture. But, I still wondered why I felt like an imposter every time.
Focus on two keywords - Incompetence and Imposter. Today, many beginners mix them up.
Imposter syndrome is where, despite clear evidence of your skills and accomplishments, you feel like you do not deserve recognition. You cannot be an imposter if you’re yet to demonstrate competence.
Spend a lot of time honing your craft or skill. Preparation breeds confidence. Confidence breeds competence.
Imposter syndrome has no cure, and it’s something you should own. Even if you’re the most powerful human on earth, you’d still at some point feel like an imposter. So, spend less time worrying about it.
Summary: Focus on competence