When I first started sharing parts of my recent work for feedback, I expected excitement and constructive notes. What I didn’t expect was the sudden flare in my chest—the rush of old thoughts whispering:
“What if it’s not good enough?”
“What if they finally see I’m not who they think I am?”
“What if I’m not a real author?”
For a moment, it felt like I’d slipped backward into a version of myself I thought I’d outgrown. I had done the work. I had healed. I had built something deeply true to my soul. So why was this happening?
The Ripple Moment
I now see that what I experienced wasn’t regression—it was a ripple.
Like a stone tossed into still water, the ego flare disrupted my peace. But instead of fighting it, I sat with it. And I realized: this was my mind’s way of showing me what I was ready to release.
The old self-doubt wasn’t proof I was failing—it was proof I was growing. In elevating my vibration, I had stirred up what no longer matched it.
What If Imposter Syndrome Is a Crossroads?
We often treat imposter syndrome as a flaw or a sign we’re unqualified. But what if it’s actually a threshold—a moment where your old programming collides with your current truth?
That discomfort is your cue:
- A role you’ve outgrown is asking to be shed.
- A fear that once kept you safe is no longer needed.
- An outdated script is ready to be rewritten.
The Clean Mind Perspective
As I often write about in The Clean Mind series, emotional and egoic flare-ups aren’t failures—they’re real-time recalibrations. They’re moments where the old identity rises for one last bow before leaving the stage.
The clean mind doesn’t fear the ripple.
It trusts the return to stillness.
And it knows the stillness comes faster each time.
When we share something that carries a piece of our soul, we expect connection. But sometimes, what arrives first is the ripple—the flare in the chest, the whisper of “not enough.”
I’ve felt it in creative spaces and professional ones alike—moments where I’ve stepped into a room, or a role, that stretched who I thought I was.
That familiar imposter ache is the ego’s way of asking, “Are you sure you’re ready?”
And the soul’s quiet reply is, “You already are.”
If You’re Feeling the Ripple
If you’ve been experiencing imposter syndrome, self-doubt, or ego flares lately, try this:
- Name the Ripple – Identify the thought without judgment.
- Ask What It’s Revealing – Is it showing you a role, belief, or fear that’s no longer yours to carry?
- Release with Gratitude – Thank it for what it once protected you from, then let it pass.
You are not the ripple.
You are the stillness that returns after it passes.
If this reflection resonated, you can subscribe to my Substack or blog to receive future essays, poems, and thoughts on clarity, presence, and peace.
Substack–> https://substack.com/@jasmineevans
About the Author
Jasmine Ayse Evans is a Project Manager in the tech industry and a Master’s student in Psychology. She writes and speaks at the intersection of technology, healing, and human potential.
Ms. Evans is a writer, speaker, and soul-led creator who believes clarity is a birthright and healing is a return, not a destination.
