Have you ever had an idea but you shut it down before it even had a chance?

Maybe you thought to yourself, “Someone else is already doing this,” or “What if no one’s interested?” or “Maybe later, when I’m more experienced.” That hesitation? That voice of doubt? It might be imposter syndrome.

IF YOU’VE EVER TALKED YOURSELF OUT OF A DREAM, THIS IS THE EPISODE FOR YOU!

Today we’re taking a deeper look at the subtle ways imposter syndrome keeps you stuck. It’s not always loud or obvious. Often, it masquerades as fear, hesitation, or “just being realistic.” But if left unchecked, it will silence your God-given calling before you even begin.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
🕵️ The hidden ways imposter syndrome shows up when you're about to step into your calling
🚫 Why trying to believe you are enough doesn’t actually help—and what will
🧬 How imposter syndrome attacks your identity at the root

You’ll hear specific examples of what imposter syndrome sounds like and how it tricks you into rejecting your dream before it has a chance to grow. This conversation also uncovers the false beliefs keeping you stuck and gently guides you toward a better solution: one grounded in truth, rooted in your identity in Christ, and capable of setting you free.

If you’re tired of spinning in the cycle of idea → doubt → shut down → repeat, this episode will help you name what’s really going on so you can finally do something about it.

If finding a better way to tackle imposter syndrome would help you move forward, my course Dreamers Unleashed is for you. It'll help you overcome perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and fear so you can walk in your God-given identity and purpose. It’s coming later this month and you don’t want to miss it!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Seth Godin’s podcast episode on Imposter Syndrome

Becoming Confident in Your Calling ~ Free Workshop on May 20th.
RSVP here to save your spot. Join us at 9am PT / 10am MT / 11am CT / Noon Eastern

Get on the waitlist for Dreamers Unleashed and join us this summer for freedom from the fear, imposter syndrome and comparison that’s currently standing in the way of your God-shaped dream.

CONNECT WITH MERRITT:

Website || Facebook || Instagram || Book a Call

Scripture:

For the Holy Spirit makes God's fatherhood real to us as he whispers
into our innermost being, “You are God's beloved child!”
~ Romans 8:16 (TPT)

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
~ 2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
~ Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
~ John 10:10 (NIV)

PIN IT FOR LATER:

**The unedited transcript for this episode of *The Devoted Dreamers Podcast* follows:**

Hey Dreamer — before we jump in, this is a special replay from the Devoted Dreamers archives. This summer I’m kicking off the next cohort of Dreamers Unleashed – my course on Exchanging Imposter Syndrome for God's Promises – so I’m bringing back some of my most relevant episodes about overcoming fear and imposter syndrome because naming these challenges is the first step toward walking in freedom with a God-shaped dream.

If you’re feeling stuck, doubting your abilities, wondering if you’re really cut out for this dream God has given you... these episodes are for you!

And if you want to go deeper, Dreamers Unleashed is opening soon — keep listening all the way through to the end for more details about how you can join us this summer to start experiencing the freedom for which Christ has set you free.

And now, here’s today's episode!

Welcome, friend. I am Merritt Onsa, your dream coach and host of the Devoted Dreamers podcast. And I believe God has an unfolding plan for your life. A God-shaped dream just for you. But there are mountains to climb between you and that dream, like fear, comparison, imposter syndrome. And what if I mess this up?

Or maybe the next right step is just evading you, or you're constantly feeling overwhelmed or stuck. I promise you are not alone. And that's why I'm here, to bring you stories from sisters in Christ who have been there and have made it out on the other end.

If you're ready to find some real traction for your dream instead of sitting on the sidelines, subscribe to the show and then meet me back here every week for transformational tools to help you release the lies so you can freely show up in the world with your gifts, leaning on God in your weaknesses and serving his kingdom with the dream he's given you.

Hey dreamer, Welcome back to another solo episode on the Devoted Dreamers podcast. In this one, I want to talk to you about imposter syndrome and why you need to address it now, if it is the thing that is standing in the way of your God-shaped dream.

So what exactly is imposter syndrome?

I'm sure you've heard this term, but what's more important to me than a textbook or Google definition is in thinking through what imposter syndrome is doing to you and to your dream as you consider stepping out into something new that you have never done before or that you've never done in this way before.

And so, feel free to Google it and look it up. Look up imposter syndrome if you're not familiar with the term or you are just struggling with what it means. But I'm going to talk today about how it impacts us and the reason we need to address it. If it is that thing that is speaking into our hearts and standing in the way of our God shaped dreams.

So I heard an episode a couple years back from Seth Godin's podcast and he talked about imposter syndrome and he said this very simple thing. I don't know if you know Seth Godin, but I find him so easy to listen to. He's very matter of fact, and he was talking about imposter syndrome being something that you might feel if you were doing something for the first time that you've never done before.

And so his take on it was like, yeah, you're going to feel like a fraud. If you are calling yourself a podcaster and it is the first podcast episode that you have recorded, you might feel a little bit like an imposter. Like you're trying to show up as somebody that you're not or that you aren't yet.

I thought that was a really helpful definition to kind of take down the energy a little bit on this big, gigantic term that has, you know, definitions in the psychological world where your therapist might talk to you about this in that, like, this might just be something that humans wrestle with, right?

So that I think was helpful for me to hear from Seth Godin.

But I don't think we stop there. Like, it's… We can't just look at this and go, well, yeah, of course I'm gonna feel like a fraud if I'm doing something that I've never done before and trying to come across as if I'm a pro. I think there's more to it than that.

And in the conversations that I have had with women about their big dreams, especially something that's brand-new, like, you've never done it before, you've never done it in the way that you're dreaming of. And you're wondering kind of how in the world can I step into this thing with confidence when that's not necessarily what I'm feeling in my heart and mind?

And so, I want to talk about, first here, right at the beginning, what imposter syndrome might sound like to you or how it might show up in your day-to-day experience. And so you may not have all of these; the exact same voice may not be in your head. You might not notice these exact patterns.

But pay attention to which of these things that I'm about to mention kind of trigger something in you that you go, yeah, that does sound a little bit like me.

So, you might have imposter syndrome if you downplay your proven skills and life experience.

You might have imposter syndrome if it seems to you like everyone else has it all figured out—that is, everyone but you.

You might have imposter syndrome if you can't seem to ever get started on your dream. Like it just… It's on the tip of your tongue; it's on your mind all the time. And it's that thing that you're like, maybe someday, and you just can never quite take that first step.

You might have imposter syndrome if it is easier for you to deflect compliments about your abilities than it is to receive them. And let's be honest, I think a lot of us struggle with this one. Somebody says, like, “Oh, you're such a good writer, speaker, or you look great today.”

How do we respond? Not really. Or, oh, thanks. Or, oh, yeah, I mean, I washed my hair today. I find myself saying that a lot. If somebody says I look good. Yeah, I washed my hair today.

Well, nice. Okay, just accept the compliment, say thank you, and move on.

Okay, let's keep going. You might have imposter syndrome if you procrastinate important projects, things that you know you have to do, but you always put them off till the very last minute.

And you might have imposter syndrome if you insist that once you have more education or experience or knowledge or years under your belt, then you'd be ready to chase after your dream. It might be an indicator that you have imposter syndrome.

I notice these things in myself more frequently when I am considering a big thing that has popped into my head that feels bigger than myself. And I don't know all the details of how it would work out, but I get this idea of, like, oh, what about that? And then I begin to think about those details and I'm like, I don't know, I don't know.

Okay, so let's do a couple more.

This is what it sounds like. So if you're still not sure you have imposter syndrome, this is what it might sound like in your head if this is a struggle for you.

It might be: who am I to do that? Or what if no one is interested in this thing I'm creating? Or maybe when I'm older or—like I mentioned earlier—have more education or experience. Or there's the flip side of that. If only I were younger…

Here's another one. Someone else is already doing it. Or I'm not sure I have what it takes.

And here's a big one: What if this fails?

Are you hearing a theme?

Some of these things we might more commonly put under the category of fear or doubt or self-doubt or lack of self-esteem. But whatever you want to call it, imposter syndrome or any of those other terms, the result is often the same. You shut down. You are subtly agreeing, even if these words don't come out of your mouth or into your mind, yeah, I don't have what it takes. Or I might fail. And failing would be more than I am willing to endure or more than I can handle.

And so your dream goes dormant until the next idea pops into your head or the next set of accusing doubts. And then the cycle goes on and on, idea and doubt, idea and doubt, and very little implementation.

Because if this is a default for you, if imposter syndrome, or listening to these voices, or having some of these behaviors like procrastination or deflecting compliments, if this is a default for you, it is going to keep coming for you. Because once the enemy finds something that keeps you down, that keeps you stalled out, he is going to keep using it against you.

So if that's true, and that's not really how we want to live, or the voice that we want to submit ourselves to, what do we do about it?

And a lot of times in secular circles, but even from Christians, you will hear this suggestion for combating imposter syndrome, which I typically see in those Instagram posts that have, like, the beautiful script and the perfect-colored background, and it says, “You are enough.” Like, the ARE is in all caps, as if all we need to do is just repeat this statement that “I am enough” over and over again, and eventually it'll get us over the imposter syndrome hurdle.

But I find that those posts leave me wanting. Because what if you've actually tried that? Like, you've actually tried to tell yourself, or stand in the mirror and say, “I'm enough. I can do this, I'm strong enough,” whatever it is, and it hasn't worked?

What do you do then?

Because you're still drowning in imposter syndrome, and now you've discovered that you're not even good enough to be able to talk yourself out of it, as all the Instagram influencers would have you think that you can do.

Wow, I must be really screwed up if I can't even do that, right? So, here comes the next condemnation, and now your attempt to rid yourself of imposter syndrome has had the actual opposite result—piling guilt and shame and fear and essentially affirming what you were afraid of in the first place.

So then what do you do?

If you have been around the Devoted Dreamers podcast for very long, you've possibly listened to my testimony episode or any of the others where I talk about my past recovery experience, it's not going to surprise you to hear me say that like anything we struggle with, in order to deal with it, like get through it, instead of burying it or hiding from it, denying it, we actually need to get to the root of the issue underneath what is driving us to imposter syndrome.

And a better, more accurate diagnosis is going to give us a better opportunity for a treatment plan, to use some psychological terms, but I'm not even really referring to that. I'm talking about, here's what we can do for ourselves to tackle imposter syndrome.

But first we have to know what we're actually struggling with. And that's what I want to talk to you about today.

***

Hey friend—can I ask you something personal?

Have you ever felt that inner prompting to do something more with your life…to pursue a big dream like writing, or speaking, or starting your own business… but you still find yourself hesitating, second-guessing yourself, or wondering, “Who am I to do this?”

If you can relate, you’re invited to a free live workshop I’m hosting called:
Becoming Confident in Your Calling: A Biblical Path to Pursuing Your Dream.

This is for the woman who knows God has given her a dream, but imposter syndrome, fear, or comparison keep getting in the way.

During the workshop, we’ll talk about what real confidence looks like (it’s not about trying harder), and how you can take the next faithful step into your big dream—with clarity and peace of mind.

This workshop is for Christian women who are ready to stop second-guessing and start moving forward with gospel truth and a renewed mindset.

It’s happening on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 and you can save your seat now at merrittonsa.com/confidence.

Register today, then be sure to show up on the 20th. I cannot wait to see you there and watch you come to believe that God put you here in this time and this place for a reason!

Don’t forget – the link again is: merrittonsa.com/confidence

***

Let's go back to those criticizing statements.

Here's a couple that I mentioned earlier. Who am I to do that? This idea that I've got, oh my gosh, it feels so much bigger than me. Who am I? How could I possibly think that I could do this? Or what if no one's interested in what I'm creating, or somebody else is already doing it, where we're comparing ourselves to what somebody else has produced and thinking there's just no chance.

There's something I want you to notice here.

The natural response when imposter syndrome rises up, when you get that spark of an idea, and you play around with it a little bit in your head and you start to do what I call testing, where you imagine what it would be like to actually do that thing.

I did this with a retreat I was planning several years ago, where I had spoken at retreats or events in the past, or I had attended or helped plan retreats or events in the past, but I had never actually put on a retreat and, like, did the whole shebang from start to finish, from logistics to lodging to speakers to speaking, all of that.

You start to, like, play around with this idea. What would it look like? Where would we be? Imagine what it would feel like to be there and who would come. And you start to kind of put yourself there, and that's when those voices pop up and bam, you're like, done! I'm not. No, I'm rejecting this idea. I can't do that. It's too much. The idea is over.

You've shut it down. It sounds way too hard. And you think, I'm just not cut out for something like that. Before you've even begun, before you've even determined any practicalities of living out the dream, you have buried it under a burden of what ifs.

So essentially, you are the one rejecting the dream. It never once had a chance.

And there's another type of rejection at play here as well, that I want to point out to you, and this one is a bit more insidious, that if you can look past what's on the surface of that, “I'm not doing this. This is too hard.” You know, “As soon as I figure out that I don't know what I'm doing, I'm going to walk away from it.” Let's look at what is actually happening here when you are struggling with imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is an attack on your identity.

It's an attack on who you are and who God made you and what he gave you to do with all of his glorious and wonderful provisions in your life. And when I first began exploring this topic of imposter syndrome, I heard from women that the failed pursuit of a dream would feel like a personal rejection.

Like, it's not just a rejection of the dream. Like, let's say I tried something, you tried something, and it didn't really work out, or it didn't work out the way that you thought it would be. It's not just that whoever I thought would show up is rejecting the dream or the experience of it not working out is the rejection of the dream, as I talked about earlier, but it is a rejection of you, of who you are as a person. And that is where this identity attack comes into play.

So when you're struggling with imposter syndrome, you begin to feel that hesitation inside of you, you know, when you're beginning to entertain this powerful, meaningful, purposeful thing that maybe, maybe, just maybe, God put this on your heart for a reason. And you look at this thing you've never done before, and you consider the cost as you should, because there's wisdom in considering the cost.

And then you think, what if those voices are right? And you give weight to the idea that you don't actually have what it takes, that you're not good enough to do this, and that no one wants what you have to offer. And if those things are true, or the potential of them could be true, what does that ultimately say about you as a person?

And let me tell you, it feels like honesty in the moment when you're playing this out in your head and then shutting it down. But it is actually a kind of false humility, which is really just masquerading pride, as in, and I'll explain this: like, you might as well not do it because the risk of failing is more than you could bear. That's where I'm saying is the false humility or the pride that... Well, let me, let me just dig a little deeper into this.

Let's dig into the why you don't want to fail. What is exactly at risk? And tell me if any of these things feel like they connect.

When you think about the thing that you would love to pursue, if only… But then there's that fear of failure. Is the failure about what might happen if others see you fail? Or is it about the dashed hopes, like it would be so dreadful to hope for something and then have it not work out? Or is it that it would affirm something about you that you feared was actually true and that reality would be devastating in and of itself?

If it feels like the cost is too high because the rejection would be too painful, that then you instead just decide to play it safe, to push the dream aside, to deny that it matters to you and avoid the risk of experiencing rejection via failure.

I mean, this is hard. This is difficult stuff. Failure is not easy. No one likes to fail. But there are those who are able to take their failure and learn from it and live to try another day.

So what do you do if you aren't that person and you want to be?

You know, kind of logically: of course, if I tried something that didn't work out, that maybe I could try it again and I could just use it as a learning experience, you know, all embarrassment aside of failure coming to fruition.

But a lot of times when we find ourselves in this place of making this kind of split-second decision of, I'm not going to pursue this because the cost of failing would be too high. We don't even know that this is the reason we're making the decisions we're making.

But if you've rejected a dream, whether for now or forever, or even if rejection is too strong a word for you, if you've just put it aside or it's stalled out, and if potential failure is too high a price to pay and you're ready to try something different, like you're looking at that now from the outside and going, okay, maybe there's another way.

Here's what I want to suggest to you: that it's time to slow down and to examine the things that you are thinking and believing and the things that you don't even realize that you are thinking and believing about rejection, about yourself, about the dream, any of that that's contributing to your decision-making in this process.

And I urge you, if imposter syndrome is a struggle for you to take it all to the Lord, to ask him to open your eyes to it, to ask for his healing and then to do the hard work, to engage in the battle for your mind and your heart. Because this is a battle; the enemy is going to take this thing and use it to his very best if he knows it works on you.

So what is the answer to how you battle imposter syndrome and the lies that the enemy is throwing at you?

Three things:

First, you do it in community. You do it openly and honestly with the people that know enough about you and that you trust to walk through this with you.

Second, you do it with an honest look at your personal struggles. Like what is really driving you, digging into the root. Is it rejection that I'm actually afraid of? Is this an identity thing where failure would say something about my identity that I am terrified to be true about me?

And then number three, how you battle imposter syndrome, is you do it in the context of God's word. What he says about who he is, and who you are, the gifts that he's given you, his power to fulfill his promises, and what he says the purpose of your life is, and how the Holy Spirit invites and empowers you to walk forward in it. All of that stuff is in scripture.

And I'm talking about this today on the podcast because all of these topics are covered in my new course, Dreamers Unleashed: Exchanging Imposter Syndrome for God's Promises.

If you're listening to this, I'd ask you to seriously consider addressing imposter syndrome in your life now rather than waiting until some unknown time in the future.

Why? Because your dream matters. But more important than that—far more important than that—is that fighting back those lies and those discouraging messages that you're allowing to impact your heart and your mind and your decision making, what you don't realize about that, the subtle little thing that happens every time you give in to it, every time you listen to it, is that you are training your brain to receive those messages from the enemy instead of renewing your mind with the truth of God's Word.

And the other reason you should address imposter syndrome now, if it's standing in the way of your God-shaped dream, is because your dream is a gift from God, and imposter syndrome is a tool of the enemy and there is nothing he wants more than God's glory to not have a chance to shine through you.

So I think you need to ask yourself, really seriously, whose voice am I listening to? Am I listening to the God of the universe who promises good to me? Or am I listening to the enemy of my soul who seeks to steal, kill and destroy anything that is good or from God?

I want to tell you a little bit about the course.

This is a live taught intensive dive into Imposter Syndrome: What it is, where it comes from, and how we exchange it for God's promises. Inside the course, you'll get weekly facilitated Zoom calls full of biblical teaching, plus space for you to process and discuss what you're learning with other students and me. There's also a private, exclusive Facebook group where you can connect with other dreamers during the week.

And then there's homework to enrich your learning and provide you with practical tools that you can continue to use long after the course is over.

There's also extra credit homework for those of you who really want to take active steps toward a dream while you're tackling Imposter Syndrome.

And then I've got a VIP add-on if you'd like some one-on-one coaching with me to discuss a particular dream or goal that you'd like to pursue, or for help in figuring out your dream, you can add that on in your purchase of the course.

I want you to imagine for a minute spending your time intentionally focused on pursuing your God shaped dream, with growing confidence in taking the next step, assured of God's faithfulness in your life and inspired by the good he will create in the world through you.

It is possible. You can fight back against Imposter Syndrome.

All of this I've put together just for you because I am that excited about you getting free of what's holding you back so that you can move forward on the dream that God has put on your heart.

Wrapping up: in this solo episode, we have talked about Imposter Syndrome, what it is and how it feels and what it might look like in your life, how to get to the root of it, and the topics of identity and how fear of rejection plays a part in it. We talked about the importance of community as you are working through this issue and then why you need to address imposter syndrome now if it is standing in the way of your dream.

My heart is fully 100% for you to find freedom, whatever it takes, from Imposter Syndrome. If you have any questions about the imposter syndrome course, I would love to be a resource for you. Please reach out to me via DM on Instagram or on the contact page at my website: merrittonsa.com.

If today’s episode stirred something in you — if you recognize yourself in the struggle against fear or imposter syndrome —

You don’t have to stay silent, sidelined, or playing small.

Dreamers Unleashed will shift everything for you. It’s part live-teaching and part group coaching designed to help you silence the voice of self-doubt and imposter syndrome with powerful truth grounded in God’s Word, so you can begin taking bold, faithful action on the whispers of the dream God has given you.

Enrollment for Dreamers Unleashed is opening later this month — and we start the live course together the first week of June.

Come to my free workshop on May 20th --- Becoming Confident in Your Calling --- to get a dose of what the course is like (and you’ll walk away with a little victory over imposter syndrome to get you started down this road).

I’ll see you next week!

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The Devoted Dreamers Podcast is produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
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