Are You A Phony?

Are you a phony? A fake?

I know a lot of people who think they are.

If you are actually representing yourself in the wrong way, then yes, you are.

But today I’m talking about the times when it is a matter of insecurity. And everyone has moments where insecurity can rear its’ ugly head.

One of my good friends doesn’t believe he is “good enough.”

He feels like a phony. He questions himself as an entertainer constantly.

He is afraid to take chances.

Why?

Because he feels it will expose him as a fraud. This insecurity has hampered his career from the start. The weird thing is, he has achieved a lot.

He is a successful performer.

He has earned the respect of his peers and audiences.

But he can’t drop that nagging feeling that one day everyone is going to realize he has been “faking it” all of these years.

These feelings are both beneficial and provide a negative impact on my friend.

Beneficial because he continues to work on his craft. As a result, he has achieved a level few will ever see when it comes to technical skills.

Negative because of the anxiety that this feeling produces. He fails to have the confidence to take risks that could reward him greatly.

So why does he feel that way?

Because to him, the skills are too easy.

He thinks he can’t be any good. He is afraid people will talk negatively about him when they find out what he is doing is so simple.

Which reminds me of a Señor Wences & Johnny line:

Señor Wences – Is difficult.
Johnny – Difficult for you … easy for me.

There are times, during my fight with depression that I feel insecurities surge too.

My insecurity ignores the countless shows I’ve performed. The successes I have achieved as a result of ventriloquism.

In last week’s article I talked about leaving your ego at the door. In it I mentioned how having some praise to pull out of your back pocket would be good.

I know it isn’t that easy.

You can have 1,000 people sing your praises and love you. But most people tend to dwell on that one person who doesn’t.

That one complaint that gnaws on you. Pulls you down. Messes with your psyche.

But rest assured that we all go through these moments.

Even some of the biggest stars deal with this.

The only thing you can do is go out there and try.

In most cases, people are pulling for you to succeed. They would prefer you be a success.

In those few cases of negativity, I’ve found that is usually caused by someone with their own issues. Someone who tends to lash out at others to try and feel better about themselves.