I blinked. Did my coworker really just tell me that? I thanked them for the compliment but mentally brushed it off. Maybe they were just being nice. But I heard those 3 words again. And again. "You've earned your place in this team." "You deserve every bit of credit." Like many other people, I continually struggle with impostor syndrome. I replay my failures from university (there were many!), even so far as dreaming about them and waking up in horror, thinking that I could not graduate because I skipped all my classes and exams. Gulp. Yes, I'm glad those days are behind. I still often wonder how things would be if I had forced myself to sit down and understand the material. I wonder how things would be if I had talked to people about what they were working on. If only I had asked questions until I completely understood concepts. On and on. When my coworkers and manager reassured me that I was a valued member of the team, I felt more confident to ask
Views are my own.