Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. Winston Churchill

INTRODUCTION

In my December 5, 2020 post, I took a look at strategies and perspectives that are key to achieving victory in the war against our old enemy, impostor syndrome. Today, I have the syndrome’s frequent partner in crime, fear of failure, in the cross-hairs.

The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men…lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain.   

Robert Burns (1785)

INTRODUCTION

Before the confetti settles onto the shards of 2020, I want to talk about New Year’s resolutions. As usual, look for some statistics, a personal story about your intrepid, sometimes hypocritical blogger, and some thoughts on solving the frustrating conundrums that these insane promises we make to ourselves (and boldly proclaim to others) create. How dare I label a well-intentioned self-help plan “insane?” The answer lies in a combination of Professor Einstein’s definition of insanity and some annoying statistics. 

(Why impostor syndrome is itself an impostor.)

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.

If, Rudyard Kipling

INTRODUCTION

Fred Rogers may have liked us just the way we are, but most of us don’t share his upbeat opinion. We gnash our teeth and silently scream, “I hate myself!” We’re sure that any success that might have drifted our way was just luck, not ability.

No [person] left behind. USMC

INTRODUCTION.

“It takes a village.” “There’s strength in numbers.”  These wise cliches notwithstanding, so many of us lead lives of isolation, a physical reality and harmful state of mind that are being exacerbated day after day as COVID cases increase. Today, I will talk about combating the depression and fear that loneliness often brings.