Imposter Syndrome
While trick or treating with my kids last Fall, a neighbor friend of mine invited me to join him for a workout he was going to lead later in the week. When he told me it was at 5:30, I had a sigh of relief since this would be an easy no. That is typically around the time my family eats dinner. He just chuckled and said, "A.M."
Even though in my mind a root canal was the equivalent of getting up at the crack of dawn ("not a morning person") to workout (I did not have any semblance of a workout routine), I thought I'd check it out. I also found out that you get a nickname at the end of your first workout, and its not something cool like Maverick, Shark, or Hercules. You typically share some information about yourself during the workout and the group comes up with something based on that.
That morning was kind of chilly, so I decided to wear a long sleeve I'd received from running a 5k that I had run back in 2019. The one and only 5K I've run since I was in high school. When it came time for the "name-o-rama", the name is Imposter was tossed out based on my wardrobe choice. I think it was quite visible how much I disliked this potential name. So, there it was, I am officially Imposter.
Turns out though, this was something I didn't realize how mich I needed. I can't begin to share the positive impact this group of men has had on me. I typically workout with them at least 3 times a week at various AO's (Area of Operation) doing various boot camp style workouts. The best part? I no longer feel like an imposter. In fact, I actually kind of love the nickname. Especially when the alarm goes off at 5 and all I want to do is go back to sleep. The last thing I want to do is live up to my nickname.
One lesson I learn over and over again is that no matter what age you are, season of life, or stage in your journey, it's incredibly important to step outside of your comfort zone and be willing to be bad at something in hopes of getting better. My pushup form is still not great, but hey, I am out there!
