The Quiet Warrior Podcast with Serena Low
Are you an introvert who wants to be more and do more, beyond what’s safe, comfortable, and pleasing to others?
Your host is Serena Low, and her life’s purpose is to help quiet achievers become quiet warriors.
As a trauma-informed introvert coach and certified Root-Cause Therapist, Certified Social + Intelligence Coach, and author of the Amazon Bestseller, The Hero Within: Reinvent Your Life One New Chapter at a Time, Serena is passionate about helping introverts and quiet achievers grow into Quiet Warriors by minimising:
- imposter syndrome,
- overthinking,
- perfectionism,
- low self-worth,
- fear of public speaking, and other common introvert challenges.
Tune in every fortnight for practical tips and inspirational stories about how to thrive as an introvert in a noisy and overstimulating world.
The Quiet Warrior Podcast with Serena Low
69. How to Never Feel like an Impostor Again
Impostor Syndrome is something most of us struggle with, and people who are conscientious and have high standards of performance and achievement - like introverts and quiet achievers - seem to struggle with it more. Even outwardly successful individuals have admitted to having Impostor Syndrome at some point in their career.
On days when your energy is flat, your mood is low, and you’re unable for whatever reason to believe that you are wise and capable and competent, I want to share a simple tip I learned, that you can put into practice straight off listening to this episode.
It’s called having a Smile File (credit to Thea Orozco for the first time I heard the term).
In short, it’s collating and documenting evidence of your competence every time you receive some kind of external validation e.g. a text message of thanks from someone you helped, a client testimonial, a 5- star Google review of your services or podcast, someone resharing your LinkedIn post.
Any time you are recognized by someone for being yourself or some positive difference you made, take a screenshot and add it to your Smile File.
Listen in to find out what else you must do to solidify and embody this empowered version of you, that was inside you all along.
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review The Quiet Warrior Podcast on your listening app. Your support helps inspire more introverts and quiet achievers in our communities.
Connect with Serena:
- Subscribe to The Visible Introvert newsletter for weekly tips and stories of how to amplify your quiet strengths without having to act extroverted.
- Join me on LinkedIn where I actively share empowering ways to show up professionally and socially as my highest introverted self.
This episode was edited by Aura House Productions
Hi, I'm Serena Loh. If you're used to hearing that introverts are shy, anxious, antisocial and lack good communication and leadership skills, then this podcast is for you. You're about to fall in love with the calm, introspective and profound person that you are. Discover what's fun, unique and powerful about being an introvert, and how to make the elegant transition from quiet achiever to quiet warrior in your life and work anytime you want, in more ways than you imagined possible. Welcome. Welcome to another episode of the Quiet Warrior podcast.
Speaker 1:It's the first day of the Lunar New Year as I'm recording this episode and I want to wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year. Wherever you feel you've landed in 2025, it's only January. There is still 11 months to go and every day, I feel, is an opportunity to start over, to reset to day one. An opportunity to start over, to reset to day one. Whatever you're going through at the moment, that you feel you're struggling with, that has been a great challenge for you, and sometimes you may feel you have no energy. You just feel really flat, really demotivated. You just can't summon up the enthusiasm to keep going. I want you to know that today can be day one. Today, you can re-script your narrative, you can write a new story. It is possible, whatever stage of life you're in, whatever season you're going through. I've been there. I've done that numerous times. So I don't go by New Year's resolutions, I don't go by artificial, socially imposed ideas of what is considered a new day or a new beginning or a new opportunity. I'm making my own as I go, I'm noticing what I need, I'm paying attention to what's not working, I'm celebrating what is working, and one good way I've really found with introverts and quiet achievers is that we don't often reflect enough and we're not really fully aware of how powerful, how incredible humans we are and what we've achieved has actually made an impact on someone else. I want to share this simple practice with you that can make a difference to your day. The next time you feel imposter syndrome coming on, you start thinking to yourself I'm not sure I can really do this challenging thing of being visible. I'm not sure about this interview. I'm not sure about asking for this promotion. I'm not sure I should ask for the sale. I'm not sure I should ask for the sale. I want you to think of this Every time you've ever received a text message, an email from someone to say thank you or to express appreciation, to express gratitude for something you've done for them or how you've been for them.
Speaker 1:Maybe you encouraged them in a time when they were really low-spirited. Maybe you did a wonderful piece of work and your client is incredibly grateful. Maybe you helped someone simply by listening to them and not judging them and you made them feel hopeful about themselves. Maybe you were fully present for someone who thinks no one else cares. Maybe you had a certain way with words that landed so beautifully at such a vital time for the other person, for your friend, for your client, that they felt moved and inspired.
Speaker 1:Every time you receive one of these pieces of evidence, I want you to keep it. Take a screenshot of it, save it in your phone, save it to your computer, start what my friend Thea Orozco calls a smile file. It's easy to remember. It rhymes beautifully, call it whatever you like. Someone else I know calls it an appreciation folder. Make sure you keep all your screenshots there.
Speaker 1:All these text messages, all these emails, photographs, all these are evidence that will come in handy on the day when you start to question yourself and to feel doubtful Am I worthy to take this on? Should I be asking for more. Is it all right for me to step out and do this brave thing, to ask for this help, or to ask someone to collaborate with me on those moments, in those days? I want you to look at your smile file and read every one of those notes and reminders and emails and text messages telling you how great you are, how incredible you are, what wonderful work you do, how talented, how gifted, how creative, how kind, how compassionate, how conscientious, how caring, how creative, how kind, how compassionate, how conscientious, how caring.
Speaker 1:Take in every word. Sit with the words. Let them soak into your soul, into your spirit, let them go deeply into those crevices, those gaps, those dark places, and let them light you up from the inside, let them refuel you, let them motivate you, let them remind you, because what has happened is that you've become disconnected, as we all do. You've forgotten who you truly are, and so these are visible, audible reminders of your greatness, and people don't just send these words for nothing. They have put their heart into crafting these messages of gratitude to you, and I want you to give yourself permission to accept that this is who you are. This is how others see you.
Speaker 1:It's very important, not just for your mental health, not just for your inner clarity, but for your sole purpose. For all the times when you feel unclear about your path ahead and you're not sure what your next step should be, for all the times you think you're an imposter and you don't deserve to be at this table or in this room, for all the times you feel unworthy to ask for more in your life. I want you to look at every one of these messages. These are tangible proofs that you do matter and you are making a difference, that you do contribute. Even touching one life has a ripple effect that you cannot foresee, and so don't take these words lightly. Take them to your heart, let them soak in, believe them, believe them in the spirit of goodwill that they come from, and allow yourself to embody this realization that you have forgotten temporarily, that you have greatness in you. You have courage and compassion and goodness and creativity in you. You are capable of great things. You are already doing them, you have done them before and therefore, you can do them again. I hope this is a reminder and an encouragement for you to keep going. See you on the next episode. I'm so grateful that you're here today.
Speaker 1:If you found this content valuable. Please share it on your social media channels and subscribe to the show on your favorite listening platform. Subscribe to the show on your favorite listening platform. Together, we can help more introverts thrive To receive more uplifting content like this. Connect with me on Instagram at Serena Lo Quiet, warrior Coach. Thank you for sharing your time and your energy with me. See you on the next episode.