Imposter syndrome is a feeling or experience where an individual feels undeserving of their position or accomplishments. It is not a medical syndrome but rather a tendency that can impact an individual's confidence and ability to succeed. Imposter syndrome can cause people to procrastinate, not apply for jobs they are qualified for, or avoid taking on new projects.
I pick a theme for each year, and this year’s theme is generosity. Although it is critical that you take care of your own bamboo, generosity is also important. I’ve been focusing on this theme for the past ten months and have learned a lot. Most importantly, I realized that it’s just as important to learn how to receive generosity as it is to be generous with others. It stops the flow if someone is generous to us and we don’t receive it. Generosity has a ripple effect, like throwing a pebble into a pond–even the most minor act of generosity can impact those around us.
When you’re watering your bamboo in your career and life, it’s a good idea to simplify, otherwise you’ll have no energy left for watering your Bamboo. Think of it as weeding the Bamboo Garden. You don’t want weeds because they will take all the nutrients your bamboo needs to grow. If you feel overworked and overcommitted, you won’t have the energy and desire to accomplish your goals, so you must simplify.
Something most people do is pursue happiness. For many of us, being happy is the ultimate goal of life, and we want to find this in our careers, family, and friends.
But I believe that pursuing happiness is precisely the problem with being happy. We treat happiness like some distant destination we have to reach. So in this post, I’m going to share six tools for you to be happy right now.
I’ve met many successful Bamboo Farmers throughout my life, many of which I interviewed on my podcast. What makes them so successful compared to someone who might not have the same level of success is that Bamboo Farmers water persistently.
This pandemic has dragged on for what seems like years. It looks as if there is a light at the end of the tunnel; we just hope it’s not a train barrelling our way.
During challenging times like the one we’re in now, it’s important to think about how to recharge ourselves. I like to think of my energy like punch in a punchbowl. My family, friends, and others can put their straws in my punchbowl and drink as much punch as they would like.
Many years ago I wrote a poem about critics and one of the stanzas went something like this:
“Critics critics there are many, but you will never see statues of any.”
People who have great success are just like you--seemingly ordinary people--but they have developed a strong and unwavering conviction and expectation that they will achieve their visions.
