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My Journey From Imposter Syndrome to Inner Safety
- Bo Mérei
- Dec 9
- 3 min read
This article is part of a three-part series on confidence, self-doubt, and inner safety.
Part 2: My Own Journey From Imposter Syndrome to Inner Safety
In my late twenties, back in my corporate-marketing days, my professional life looked polished from the outside. I was leading global advertising campaigns, managing international teams, and collecting the kind of achievements that were supposed to signal success. But inside, I was quietly falling apart.
What I didn’t understand then, and what many people don’t realise, is that imposter syndrome doesn’t respond to praise, achievement, or external acknowledgment. In fact, the more I accomplished, the louder the inner voice became:
“You got lucky.”
“You won’t be able to repeat this.”
“One mistake, and they’ll see you’re not enough.”
I tied my worth to performance. I worked excessively to “earn” my place. And I lived in constant fear of disappointing someone: a boss, a client, myself.
Eventually, this pressure built into something I could no longer ignore. Anxiety became a daily companion. Rest disappeared. My personal life shrunk to almost nothing. And in moments of deep overwhelm, I made dramatic exits from companies... not because I wanted to escape work, but because I wanted to escape myself.
Looking back, I can see it clearly: I was searching for safety in all the wrong places... in praise, outcomes, and other people’s approval.
The turning point
My healing began when I realised that confidence is not the absence of fear: it’s the presence of inner safety.
I learned to understand my system as a whole: my thoughts, my body, my emotions, my patterns. Not as things to fix, but as parts of a story worth listening to.
I practiced self-compassion. Not the soft, indulgent stereotype, but the grounded, responsible kind that says:
“I see your effort, your fear, your intention. Let’s move forward together.”
I allowed myself to build relationships where vulnerability wasn’t a weakness. I stopped chasing validation. And slowly, I began to feel a different kind of strength: one that wasn’t dependent on performance.
Why I do this work now
My journey became my mission. Today, as a psychological coach, I help emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers:
• transform self-doubt into confidence and authenticity
• build inner safety instead of seeking external approval
• cultivate self-esteem that holds under pressure
• let go of overworking as a way to prove worth
• become their own ally rather than their harshest critic
Not because I mastered any of this perfectly, but because I lived the consequences of not mastering it. And because I believe deeply that confidence is learned, nurtured, and earned from the inside out.
If your path includes a few dramatic exits of your own (literal or emotional) you’re not alone. Most people who end up doing deep, meaningful inner work have had to break something open first.
This is my story of becoming my own best friend. Still imperfect, still evolving. And with a deep gratitude for the journey.
If something in this post resonated with you: a pattern you recognize, a desire for change, or simply the wish to feel more at home in yourself... you don’t have to figure it out alone.
This is the work I do every day with emerging leaders, creatives, expats, and anyone ready to grow from the inside out. You’re welcome to book a free 30-minute introductory call: a warm, pressure-free space to explore how this work could support your next chapter.
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