“You are not as smart as them.”

“Why would someone with a PhD listen to you?”

“They’re gonna find out you only have an undergraduate degree…”

These are the often daily taunts that I say to myself.

And these taunts turn into debilitating comparisons, that robs me of my joy to serve you, and robs you of being served by me.

The truth is

I have an undergraduate degree ONLY

No masters, or grad dip, or PhD here people.

I am the first of my family of origin to have gone to university and completed a university education. Back in the day, this was a big deal for me and my family.

And it was important to me as a 17/18 year old to attend university and come out with a thing that allowed me to do something.

I had always been attracted to the health sciences. I knew I wanted to make the world a better place and I knew I wanted to do this by directly helping people.

I also knew I was not cut out for nursing.

When I received the results from my university entrance I didn’t open the envelope (back in the days when these things were posted to us by snail mail) for 4 days.

I was terrified of what it would say.

I expected it to tell me

I was not good enough

AND that’s JUST what it did.

You see, the years of matching my self-talk to my behaviours resulted in my not getting the marks that I needed to gain a direct entry into Speech and Language Pathology.

So I then told myself I failed and that I would never be good enough.

And this is a belief that I have carried around with me in different forms since I was a little Jo.

But you know what?

Today, I have a life & business beyond my wildest dreams.

I am an incredible mother to my 23-year-old son who is happy and healthy and a great human.

I am married to a man who honours, respects and cherishes me in ways I did not realise were possible.

I have a business that services people all over the world, that reconnects people to a sense of purpose.

ALL with the undergraduate degree.

And to this date NO ONE has ever ever asked me for my credentials.

The question people do ask – all the time, is – CAN YOU HELP ME?

So, the next time, you are feeling less than because you don’t have a master’s degree or two master’s degrees, or a PhD I want you to ask yourself this:

• When was the last time someone asked you for your education credentials?
• What was the purpose of them asking you for them?
• Does their purpose for asking align with your purpose for doing what you do?

Chances are you are more than enough just the way you are, and have everything you need to help the people who need your help right now.

I rarely meet a health professional who is clinically under-educated.

I do however meet clinicians who are full of doubt, fearing the power that resides in them.

Now that I have told you about my liar and fraud story, I am wondering if you would be bold, and brave enough to share yours with me 🙂

No shame, let’s shed some light onto what is holding you back so you can let it go and get on with the greatness that you have inside of you.

Hit reply, let me know how you tell yourself that you are a liar and a fraud.

Until next time,

Go be your awesome self

— Jo