Ask the right question - Why not you?

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” – Eleanor Roosevelt

What I have come to understand is that most of us are not owning our gifts because we have been taught that it is conceited to do so. We give away our power so often because of this and really undermine our natural brilliance. Some of the questions that we ask ourselves when we are experiencing these feelings of inferiority are:

• If I have confidence in myself will I appear cocky or narcissistic?
• What if I’m not perfect?
• What if they realize I am nobody important?
• Who am I to be doing this?

What I have found is that when we start asking ourselves these types of questions, we start to escalate. We pile on all the things anybody said that supports these ideas. The failures and mistakes from the past come to say hello. Before we know it, we are feeling horrible about ourselves and our confidence levels plummet. If we have to do a presentation or sales call, what happens next is interesting. Some of us switch into false bravado and in order to pump up our confidence, go into overdrive which can border on arrogant behavior. Others of us pull all of our energy in for protection against the horrible feelings and we can appear cold or robotic.

The bottom line is we stop showing up as our authentic selves. When we let our confidence issues hijack our authentic selves we have given our power away. We have relinquished the one thing that is our super power. Our unabashed true self which has been there since the very beginning is the unending source of confidence that will always get us through. Tell yourself your victory stories and create your confidence formula. Tap into your inner King or Queen that has the authority and power to do whatever it is that you are endeavoring to do. Train yourself to call out and name those imposters within and embrace them as friends showing you that you are growing and expanding. And please remember to ask yourself the right questions. Instead of “who am I to be doing this?”, what if we asked, “what is mine to do?” Or, “what would I do if I knew I could succeed?” Lean into the question, activate your gifts and then step into your greatness with confidence.

Known to many as “The Magnetic Voice,” Monique McDonald is a Grammy-nominated, award-winning vocal specialist and certified Conscious Transformational Coach. Initially terrified to audition or speak publicly, Monique studied intensely with excellent coaches to cultivate her confidence. As a result, she celebrated with outstanding Opera and Master Class performances throughout Europe, Russia, Japan, and the US, including Carnegie Hall, NYC, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. When Monique helps you unlock your natural charisma and your “Magnetic Voice,” you benefit from secrets learned in over twenty years through High Stakes Performance combined with her unique coaching style. Her passion is inspiring charismatic communication and mastery of the human voice to empower entrepreneurs, speakers, and leaders.

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Imposter syndrome for all - how we can reframe imposter feelings to serve us

“The exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.” Albert Einstein

What I love about this quote is that Einstein was near the end of his life when he shared it with a friend. First of all, if you are experiencing imposter feelings, you are in good company. I believe that when imposter syndrome or feelings show up, it is often an indicator that you have grown or expanded in some way or are about to. If we could embrace these feelings as friends showing up to say, “Great job! You have just done or are about to do something amazing” how would our lives change?

According to some estimates, 70% of successful people experience imposter syndrome. That sensation of feeling like a fraud is usually caused by the belief that despite their objective successes a person has persistent self-doubt and anxiety about being “found out” and shamed as an imposter. It was widely believed that high-achieving women made up most of the percentage but there is now quite a bit of evidence that men experience Imposter Syndrome as much as women.

It can be very crippling unless we learn how to reframe the imposter thoughts that will come up as we grow and succeed. When we realize that, not only are we not alone in these imposter feelings, they very well could be an indicator of our growth and development we can choose to embrace them. We can laugh and say, “I see you, perfectionist within and I now remember that you are showing up to remind me it is ok to be out of my comfort zone and grow.” Please don’t be afraid to speak your imposter thoughts out loud to a trusted friend, mentor or therapist. They only have power if you keep them bottled up. When you name them and call them out they cannot stop you anymore. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

Known to many as “The Magnetic Voice,” Monique McDonald is a Grammy-nominated, award-winning vocal specialist and certified Conscious Transformational Coach. Initially terrified to audition or speak publicly, Monique studied intensely with excellent coaches to cultivate her confidence. As a result, she celebrated with outstanding Opera and Master Class performances throughout Europe, Russia, Japan, and the US, including Carnegie Hall, NYC, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. When Monique helps you unlock your natural charisma and your “Magnetic Voice,” you benefit from secrets learned in over twenty years through High Stakes Performance combined with her unique coaching style. Her passion is inspiring charismatic communication and mastery of the human voice to empower entrepreneurs, speakers, and leaders.

Be sure to subscribe to The Magnetic Voice Show so you never miss an episode!

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How to access your confident alter-ego

“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” Oprah Winfrey

When I began my career as an opera singer, auditions were my biggest challenge. I would practice and practice and nail it in the studio but as soon as I entered the audition, I would feel my confidence and self-esteem plummet. I found myself failing over and over again. Whenever I thought about auditioning, my breathing would become short and high (not good for singing) and I would start picturing all the things that could go wrong.

I realized I needed to find a solution. I noticed that when I was singing for an audience these feelings did not show up. I started to wonder what the difference was. What I found out was that before a performance, I would tap into the part of me that was more concerned with delivering the message than the fear of being judged. I took this idea even further when I would become the character I was portraying. I would ask myself what would my character feel or think in these situations. It immediately took the pressure off Monique and I became grounded in curiosity. I then took it even further and started to wonder how I would feel or behave if I was a seasoned performer who had years of experience. I found myself stepping into the Monique that was already successful.

All of a sudden, this thing that brought such anxiety became just what I was and I performed from the place inside me that had done it a thousand times. I called it “putting on my glamour” and I actively connected with the part of me that was confident and already living the life of my dreams. When we activate our curiosity and connect to the part of ourselves that does know how to do the things we are endeavoring to do, we open up to the Infinite within. There is a flow that begins. We carry within each of us different archetypes. My favorites are the King/Queen, Sage, Artisan, Warrior and Magician. The idea of these “characters” within allows me to have the confidence to face any challenge and do things I might never do.

Known to many as “The Magnetic Voice,” Monique McDonald is a Grammy-nominated, award-winning vocal specialist and certified Conscious Transformational Coach. Initially terrified to audition or speak publicly, Monique studied intensely with excellent coaches to cultivate her confidence. As a result, she celebrated with outstanding Opera and Master Class performances throughout Europe, Russia, Japan, and the US, including Carnegie Hall, NYC, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. When Monique helps you unlock your natural charisma and your “Magnetic Voice,” you benefit from secrets learned in over twenty years through High Stakes Performance combined with her unique coaching style. Her passion is inspiring charismatic communication and mastery of the human voice to empower entrepreneurs, speakers, and leaders.

Looking for more 1-to1 help with YOUR VOICE OF LEADERSHIP? Check out my coaching packages at themagneticvoice.com Then click “Transform with Monique” to book a complimentary connection call and let’s see which one is a good fit for your needs!

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