Based on your answers, your loudest Inner Protector is The Imposter
Read on for more about how this Inner Protector shows up for you — and what you can do to begin moving from self-protection to self-leadership!
The Imposter Inner Protector can show up in a range of experiences such as:
Believing your success is down to luck, fluke, mistake or chance
Fear being ‘found out’ as not good enough
Struggle to trust your own decisions and intuition
Get stuck in a cycle of buying more certificates and courses because you doubt your capabilities and never feel like you know enough
Often look to others for guidance
Feeling restless and nervous
Negative self-talk
Anxiety, fear and panic
Feeling frozen in indecision
Where do our Inner Protectors come from?
#1 The most important thing to understand is: THE BATTLE OF OUR PARTS
We’ve all experienced this. A part of us is so ready to step toward the things we desire and we may even feel excited about it.
But when we go and step toward the thing, we find ourselves overwhelmed, confused, anxious, shut down and stuck.
#2 Why is this happening?
The battle we experience is a result of our protective parts not knowing we are safe to have the things we deeply desire.
It certainly doesn’t feel good to have our Inner Protectors be in charge, but it’s not happening because there’s something wrong with you.
It’s simply your system trying to protect you.
If you’re thinking, “I’m safe! So what is my Inner Imposter trying to protect me from?”
That’s because even though we may be safe now, there may have been situations in the past where we risked losing love, belonging or safety if we were to:
Take up space
Be Seen
Receive
Use our voice
Be close to people
Assert our needs
Ask for help etc
Our self-protective circuit cares about us so much that they’re constantly scanning the environment looking for cues of safety or danger — and they look to information from the past to help them decide what’s ok or not.
There are no bad parts
Like all Inner Protectors, the Imposter has positive intent
In their milder manifestation, the Imposter makes us more “other focussed” and improves interpersonal performance: by helping people, cooperating, and encouraging others.
The Imposter part has developed the belief that it’s dangerous for them to give up their role of doubting, striving to be better and constantly learning more.
In this way, they work incredibly hard to distract us from painful feelings our younger parts may be holding onto e.g. shame, grief, feelings of not good enough, too much etc.
In order for us to come out of Self-Protection and into Self-Leadership we have to show, not simply tell, our protective parts we are safe.
We do that by taking tolerable steps towards befriending our self-protective system.
Below you’ll be able to download a free worksheet with some ideas for how to build a relationship with the IMPOSTER Inner Protector.
Plus, keep an eye on your email, because I’ll be sending more tools in the coming days to support you.
GET YOUR FREE PERSONALISED IMPOSTER WORKSHEET
I know how it feels to have one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake…
I'm Tamsin, somatic coach, writer and space holder for talented CEOs, creatives, healers and small business owners who struggle to understand why they do the things they do.
I know the inner battle of longing to step into a bigger life and yet feeling like there was an invisible part of me pulling me back, very well.
It was only when I discovered somatic healing, parts work and nervous system regulation that my experience began to change.
In my 5+ years practice as a space holder and somatic coach, I’ve found that many of my clients also struggle with this battle when building their businesses.
I decided it was time to focus on these issues and so created this quiz to help others step courageously towards their goals and desires.
Step into Self-Leadership
Check out these helpful resources to help you befriend your Inner Protector and move more gracefully towards the life and business you desire.
1. Follow me on Instagram. From helpful tips to Q&A Lives around leadership and business with a common thread of embodiment, @TamsinCrimmens is an interactive resource to find compassionate help as you step more fully into your role as a self-aware and embodied leader.
2. Subscribe to Body Story, my Substack newsletter for recovering people-pleasers who want to become full-bodied receivers.
3. Want guidance on how to rewrite your patterns and build awareness? Book a free consultation with me. We’ll not only assess your own self-protective habits, we’ll find a better way forward together.
This quiz and associated material is intended to educate, inspire, and support you. I am not a psychologist or a medical doctor and do not offer any professional health or medical advice. If you are suffering from any psychological or medical conditions, please seek help from a qualified health professional.