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Tomi Petrella's avatar

Very well put and encouraging. I like to ask young and old adults "who do you want to be" instead of "what do you want to be". I hope to start publishing here this year. Thank you for the example.

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

Thank you for the awesome comment. Asking who do you want to be is brilliant!

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Dee Rambeau's avatar

You’re a writer. With hundreds of subscribers. Yes you are. 🙏

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

Awww… you’re gonna make me cry…. Oops, well, there I go.

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Dee Rambeau's avatar

☺️🥲

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Dee Rambeau's avatar

I was that high school football star that went to business school—didn’t work as a janitor but I did as a waiter. Imposter beast is real—I’ve fought it my whole life whether I belong or not.

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

I see you Dee, who you are is real, deeply authentic, kind, loyal, encouraging … and from all you have shared, an excellent husband who knows the value of love. What we do doesn’t truly matter in the end. At least I don’t believe it does. It is The WAY you do everything that matters. Just be you. You’re all you ever need to be, and I’m delighted to have crossed your path,

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Dee Rambeau's avatar

🙏❤️ thank you. The feeling is mutual.

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Zsolt Kohalmi The Late Harvest's avatar

Wait to read it!

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Okeko's avatar

Hi Teyani, you might find it interesting to visit my Substack because you've touched upon it that 'who I am' and 'who you are', is ever-changing thus temporary, therefore when I stop identifying totally and permanently with 'what I do' and the definition of 'who I am', authenticity will be the result, like peace is the result if I stop fighting, so that the effort to 'be' authentic, or be someone and become someone is no longer useful, and 'the imposter' doesn't have to show up to balance our efforts to define identity 😉

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

I agree that the measure of who we are comes from deep within us, and (hopefully) continues to deepen and evolve over time.

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Okeko's avatar

Interesting that you swap 'who I am' in 'who we are', and use the word 'measure', which propels me to share that 'the we' is an extension of (the) me, not 'us'.

Us is the extreme side of the tension between 'us and them', which is amplified in reality when I see the sameness of 'the me' in all bodies, because it transcends the idea that opposites are so divided that flow between them is not possible (and a reason for instance to avoid negative emotions), and many people choose to stay stuck on one side, which is a reason behind their choice to totally identify with a one-personality and detach their 'I' from 'You'.

So... the split between 'I and you' and 'us and them' is the same and results in psychological bifurcation.

Cheers 🌹

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

Thanks Okeko

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Lisa Bennett's avatar

Loved this post, Teyani! For some reason I have not reckoned with the imposter monster, I feel I’ve had the “mastery” mindset since I was in 3rd grade, I run with something once I feel I have a good grip on it.

Now I know another reason why I enjoy your writing voice so much: I’m a Master Gardener, and I was taught to knit by a fabulous Irishwoman, Joan. I subsequently turned around and taught over 200 people how to knit, and at least one became an instructor! Joan said, “You always were a quick study.”

Maybe that’s what I was gifted in my childhood from a very demanding mother. To avoid punishment, I became a “quick study.”

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

So, not only do we share a birth date, but also some of the things that bring us joy❣️

You’re wonderful, you know. Glad our paths have crossed

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Zsolt Kohalmi The Late Harvest's avatar

Imposter syndrome is mental, Procastination is more technical. The end result may be very similar: both are braking your progress. However, you can look at procastination with pride, a fake one.

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

I have a slightly different take on procrastination…. You’ll have to see when I write about it🤗

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Zsolt Kohalmi The Late Harvest's avatar

Teyani, excellent contribution! I am lucky never to have had this syndrome, but I had procrastination due to over-emphasized doubt. Looking at our deeds with emphasis on how over what is wise

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

Thanks for the kind words.

Hmmmm… procrastination is an interesting topic as well…. Let me think about that one 😊

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Oct 9
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Teyani Whitman's avatar

It’s a completely true story! He made me swear to never touch a tennis racket again. 😂 and yes, I was that bad. 🤪

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