I felt tiny

Have you ever put off having an uncomfortable conversation or doing something because you didn't want the other person to see that you don't know it all?

Plus, you don't want to be viewed as less than, as though you're not enough. It's much easier to hide those things from others.

Early in my Network Engineering career, I recall a situation where I was unsure how to proceed. I wanted to ensure that I didn't cause an outage or break something. Nor did I want my record to be tarnished. My confidence was low, and I wanted to ensure that I was going in the right direction.

I didn't want people to think I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't want to be seen as incompetent. I also didn't want to make a mistake because I thought I knew what I was doing. I didn't want to be caught off guard.

I chose to put discomfort over comfort. I went to one of my Senior engineers for guidance.  

A few of his responses were something like:

• Don't you have xyz certification? This is a basic concept that you should know.

• You have lots of book knowledge, but real-world experience is different.

After this conversation, I felt like an imposter. I started to question myself and wonder if this was where I wanted to continue to work.  

I felt my already low confidence hit rock bottom. I felt tiny and insignificant.

Maybe you've been there?

I went back to my desk and thought, who else can I speak to that might be more helpful?

For a moment, I thought, what if the same thing happens? What if the next person is even worse?  

Then I thought, what if the next person can help you get what you need?

I chose to put discomfort over comfort again. I got what I needed.

Putting discomfort over comfort takes courage.

Joy, freedom, happiness, greater impact, and confidence all live on the other side of discomfort.

If you want to create a powerful mission and why, make a greater impact, and get comfortable in the discomfort, consider joining our Courage to Impact Campfire. It's a 5-month group journey where you will take more action towards being the more courageous version of yourself.

Put discomfort over comfort.

Be courageous.

Shermain.