Want a guaranteed way to bring the ‘imposter syndrome’ feelings out in me?
Refer to me as a dyslexia expert or dyslexia influencer.
It makes me panic and feel a bit sick.
The voices in my head..
You don’t know enough
You are not clever enough
You don’t have enough qualifications
You don’t have enough followers
You make too many mistakes
You doubt your ability
You let people undermine your knowledge
For ages I have nodded and smiled pretending I agree with people when they call me an expert or influencer but not really believing it!
In my head I set myself unrealistic and unreachable goals, promising myself when I reach that goal I will call myself an expert or influencer.
Today I feel tired of constantly aiming for the next thing to consolidate my worth and prove to myself I know my stuff.
I decided to google the word expert
‘person who is very knowledgeable about or skilful in a particular area.’
… and the word ‘influencer!’
‘a person or thing that influences another’
Do I influence people?
If influencing is… supporting them to look at dyslexia and increasingly ADHD differently, to own it and manage it and not let it define what they can’t do, but use it to define what they can do.
Then yes I influence.
Am I knowledgeable about dyslexia and adhd?
Lived experience as someone with the learning differences, teaching and supporting people with the learning differences, parenting children with the learning difference, 4 formal qualifications, in teaching, dyslexia and assessment, and a whole host of CPD every year!
This makes me an expert for sure…
Yet I don’t know everything and I know there is more I want to learn…
My realisation.
In all the definitions I have found… there is no clause where it says experts know everything and once you become an expert there is no more to learn…
So here’s to owing my expert and influencer status in a way that empowers me to empower others in a more powerful way!
And imposter, thanks for visiting but you do not belong here!
Need dyslexia support whether it’s education based, workplaced based, coaching, assessment or training… you know what to do!
