Seals - Chameleons - The Titanic

“You know what I’m talking about, that feeling that you do not deserve to be where you are, and you will be exposed as an ‘impostor’. AKA Impostor Syndrome.”

By Kristan Getsy

So, I got the job: Navy Special Warfare (N.S.W.). I drove through Gate 1, showed my military ID to armed guards. I proceeded to Gate 2, parked and GAVE my ID to an officer to keep until I left for the day. I was then escorted through Gate 3 to where the real badasses and their support teams live and train. To say I was nervous or scared is an understatement. I really just wanted to disappear. I didn’t belong. They were going to see right through me. Don’t they know I’m just a small town girl, living in a small town world, just visiting this badass compound? In case you don’t know, N.S.W. is more commonly known as the Navy SEALS. They were waiting for me to train them? What the what!?!?!?!

You know what I’m talking about, that feeling that you do not deserve to be where you are, and you will be exposed as an ‘impostor’. AKA Impostor Syndrome. With one twitch of an eyebrow, or wrong word spoken, they’re going to call me out as a fraud. I had THREE DAYS to work with these amazing professionals. If they didn’t discover me as a fake on day one, there would be day 2. And when it didn’t happen on day 2, surely it will happen on day 3. Then what? Will they throw me in the brig? Imposter syndrome leaves many people feeling trapped. Despite successes, accolades and achievements, we bring anxiety into our lives with words and thoughts like:

“I’m not good enough.”

“I don’t belong.”

“I’m unworthy.”

“I’m not enough.”

We go from “Uh-oh, I messed up.” to “I just screwed up so badly, now my career is OVER,” in two-seconds flat! Often, we talk negatively about others to make ourselves look or feel better.

As we find ourselves dealing with this after many years, we start saying, “I only got this far by luck,” or “They didn’t have anyone else for the job, so they chose me.”

After being educated in my communications field, earning a degree and having worked in front of TV cameras and microphones for more than 12 years, Hell yeah - I’m qualified to tell people how to talk to an audience. After giving hundreds, if not thousands of performances, after reading and studying non-verbal communication and best practices for presentations, after designing and instructing workshops for C-suites and military operations, I still second-guess my abilities.

So where do those insecurities come from? If you ask anyone who knows me, they’ll tell you I’m one of the most confident people they know. I’m an extreme extrovert. Yet, I’m scared of being rejected. I become a chameleon in most places I go. In fact, that was exactly how I got my first 6/7 jobs. I would say, “I can do that. I’m a chameleon. I can fit in anywhere.” In the process of striving to meet someone else’s expectations of who I should be, I lost the deep essence of who I really was.

There IS HOPE for me (and you). I learned to evaluate my imposter story and change my narrative to support my ongoing success and wellbeing. Simply changing my mindset is like turning around the titanic after it hits the iceberg. I just can’t. So, I meet impostor syndrome with FACTS and fury. The FACTS are I do belong in the room.

Embracing the “Fear of Rejection” as a passenger in my life-ride is now commonplace. Making him ride in the backseat while “Success” takes the front seat works for me. The old adage, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”… well, I’m keeping them in the same vehicle. Hence the fury; they argue a lot. Good news: Those of us dealing with imposter syndrome are over-achievers, high-achievers, successful people, and we are surrounded by highlevel people. If you feel like a fraud, an imposter, like you don’t belong, know you are not alone.

These people claim to own Imposter Syndrome too: • Tom Hanks • Michelle Obama • Lady Gaga • Barbara Corcoran • Kate Winslet • Natalie Portman • Michelle Pfeiffer • Emma Watson • Lupita Nyong’o • Ryan Reynolds • Jodie Foster • Meryl Steep • Amy Adams • Renee Zellweger • J-Lo • Penelope Cruz • Serena Williams • Padma Lakshmi • Maya Angelou • Albert Einstein

You should be proud of your achievements that have brought you to this level of success.

BTW, I survived my first N.S.W. assignment. And a decade later, I’m still training them.

Don’t let her southern accent fool you. Kristan Getsy is an accomplished communications professional and subject matter expert.

From radio, to television, to CEO of her own creative agency, Kristan’s expertise has received numerous industry accolades. With over a decade of “boots on the ground” reporting experience in the news industry, she worked as a photojournalist, anchor, and news director before founding her award-winning multi-media production and consulting company, Life’s Eyes Media. Kristan is a friend to everyone, a public speaker, serial entrepreneur, wife, mother, publisher and author—currently working on her new book, “The Cussing Christian.” Yes, she’s a Christian, with a colorful history to prove God’s saving grace can reach anyone. Additionally, she and her husband are in the process of growing 2 non-profit organizations benefitting those with special needs (Seeds of Glory Farm) and women in lower-socioeconomic environments (Cultivating Women).

“There IS HOPE for me (and you). I learned to evaluate my impostor story and change my narrative to support my ongoing success and well-being..”