We’ve all been there. You’re working on your big dream. You’ve gotten clear on what you want. But it still seems far off. It feels out there in the distance. Fake. Too big. Too unrealistic.
Or you’re doing the work, but you don’t truly believe it yourself. You’re wondering when other people might catch on that you’re a fraud.
There’s actually a coined disease for this:
Impostor Syndrome. Yeah.
Things might actually be going well for you, and you might stop and think that you don’t truly deserve the success because you’re not good enough, or you’re not the expert. But you know what?
There will ALWAYS be people out there who want the information or talent that you have at whatever level you’re at.
Trust that you are enough.
Most successful people feel this way at some point or another. Take my love, for example. He’s the lead singer for a well-known band that’s toured the world, been featured on the front page of the New York Times and major magazines, performed on late night talk shows, and even opened for James Brown. But you know what? He still sometimes feels like he’s not good enough. Us creative types especially have this yearning for perfection.
But what sort of confirmation are you waiting for? You have to start somewhere.
So how can you get back into that space of truly believing that it’s possible? That you deserve success now.
Don’t wait until you feel confident to start putting yourself out there. True courage comes from taking risks. You’ll believe it’s possible once you take action. So I invite you to change your behavior first, and then allow your confidence to build.
I lay out my favorite manifestation tool for doing just this in the video below:
Get excited! Acting As If is about stepping into your vision and experiencing what it’s like to be the dream you. When you act as if, your energy turns into one of expansiveness rather than one of fear.
You’ve got to play the part in order to attract others to support you in your vision. If you don’t believe it can happen, no one else will!
When I was still in college, I got business cards made that said “Jen Mazer, Artist.” At the time I thought, ‘Who am I to say this? I’m not a working artist.’ I was only in art school. But I did it anyway – and guess what? I started showing my artwork, and people starting referring to me as as ‘Jen Mazer, Artist!’ Since then my work has been published in the New York Times and featured in New York Magazine.
So think about your BIG Dream. Ask yourself what is it that you want to become more of in your life? Declare it. Here’s how I’m going to help you step into that role.
My Challenge to you:
Get dressed up as the DREAM YOU and go someplace where the DREAM YOU would hang out.
For example, if the dream you has a hot body, you might want to treat yourself to the upscale gym and take one of their classes. Most of them offer a free trial membership. Or maybe you just make an awesome healthy meal at home. If the dream you is a successful filmmaker, you might go to a film screening. Or maybe in your ideal life, you’ll be having fine dinners out. So why not enjoy one now? Get dressed up and go to the fanciest restaurant near you. See how it feels to be dining amongst other wealthy people. You might just order a drink, but you’ll be in good company.
Like I said in the video, it doesn’t have to cost you a penny. You can start acting as if you really DO have the money to make these choices now. Like test driving the car, viewing the new house… Get the picture?
When you Act As If, you are literally creating the environment of the person you’re pretending to be.
Even though you might not fully believe it yet on the inside, your outward behavior helps get you there. You don’t have to think a thought first before taking action. You can also do the reverse. For example: when you’re happy, you smile. AND if you smile, you become happy. Smiling first is Acting As If. Does this make sense?
It’s actually common practice to Act As If in certain disciplines like yoga – where the physical postures (asanas) are really there as tools to get you to a higher state of consciousness. Pretty cool, huh? Think about it, haven’t you ever gotten a new haircut or a new outfit, and then you found yourself acting different. You were probably more confident afterwards, right?
If acting as if seems hard, remember that you are WORTHY.
You deserve to have your ideal life. You can be that person NOW. Remember you’re not alone. Stretching yourself outside of your comfort zone can feel awkward at first.
There is nothing stopping you but yourself.
So get dressed up, go out and have some fun! You might meet some interesting people there. And who knows where those connections can lead?
Now I want to hear from you.
How can you Act As If now to bring your dream closer to you? Get inspired and leave a comment below with how you’re going to act as if. And come back to this page to report what you experienced!!
P.S. If you’re having trouble with this exercise, and want some coaching support around not feeling worthy, just fill out this brief questionnaire, and I’ll get in touch!
