Hey Reader,
You know that feeling where you look at the great success you’ve built and think you’re losing your edge?
You’ve built the life, the business, and you’ve made the numbers.
But you feel like you’re one step away from being exposed.
And no, it’s not insecurity.
It’s not exactly impostor syndrome.
It’s something deeper.
Most people feel this way because there’s a mismatch between what they’ve built… and what they believe they deserve.
In today’s issue, we’ll uncover the reason you feel anxious about your success sometimes and how to put that demon to rest.
🗯️ The champion who couldn’t feel like one
Let’s talk about Andre Agassi.
He was a global tennis icon, Grand Slam titles, number one rankings, endorsement deals worth millions. To the world, he’d made it.
But in his autobiography, Open, he admits something most elite performers won’t say out loud:
“I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion… And always have.”
He was winning. But he wasn’t at peace.
Because deep down, he didn’t believe he deserved to be there.
Even with all the trophies, and the admiration, he still felt like a fraud.
Not because he wasn’t good enough.
But because the success never felt like his.
He kept performing, collecting external validation, hoping it would fill the gap inside until he could no longer continue.
He turned inward, began therapy, reflected on his upbringing, the pressure, the void.
He accepted the truth, and found meaning beyond the validations.
He launched his school for underprivileged kids in Las Vegas.
His fulfillment came not from more medals, but from impact aligned with his values.
🧠 When did you feel the need to prove you deserve it..?
Remember when you started out?
You probably didn’t have much, but you had guts enough to make a huge capital.
And you scaled. You brought your dream and goals to reality.
Now look at you.
You look at your business, your bank account, your reputation, and still wonder:
Am I just getting lucky?
Will they find out I’m not built for this?
Because along the line, you started to build confidence in external proof.
You became so endeared to the accolades, respect, and the great reputation.
You keep looking for signals from the outside world; validation, praise, and the likes, before you’ll let yourself feel good.
You’ve lost trust in your abilities so you start to fear that any mistake can expose you as not so good.
It’s like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.
But what you should do is realign your confidence to your internal proof.
Let’s dive into it.
❤️ Trust yourself as much as others already do
You’ve already done the work.
You’ve already earned the respect.
You’ve already proven yourself again and again.
When you trust the guts that got you here from the beginning, you’ll stop waiting for anything else to invalidate your success.
You’ll stop performing for approval.
You’ll stop feeling like you’re one bad day from being exposed.
You detach from the version of you who has to prove your worth.
Your actions matches your inner identity because you’re operating from what gives you deep joy.
You’re not willing to trade your peace for external admiration.
And just like that, your success starts to feel safe.
Sustainable.
Yours.
🤲 Here’s how you realign with internal proof
It’s easy to get carried away by the validations, admiration and more as you reach greater success.
Here are 3 practices that keep me focused on internal proofs:
- Use internal post-game reviews. Instead of obsessing over applause or metrics, ask yourself three things at the end of each day: Did I do what I said I would? Did I show up with clarity, not out of validation? Would I be proud of this if no one ever found out? This will keep your actions in check.
- Do things no one will praise you for. Pick days when you do something impactful that nobody will see or applaud you for. Help someone quietly, or make a decision that doesn’t win praise but feels aligned. When you can create momentum without validations, you build the mental discipline to do what you want to do, not what people want you to do.
- Take that hard turn: This is where you ask yourself, where in your life are you going above and beyond just because you’re afraid not to? Maybe because you’ve gone too far to stop. Don’t throw away what you’ve built, but cut out the extras that are making you feel like you’re just performing. This will bring you back to what’s really matters.
🎯 Make self-trust the foundation
If all your success disappeared, what would still be true about you?
Not the company or net worth.
The part of you that doesn’t need external proof to feel genuine happiness.
Pay close attention to that You.
It brings peace, fulfillment, holds no fear, and holds no doubt.
As Oprah Winfrey once said, “You become what you believe. You are where you are today in your life based on everything you have believed.”
With appreciation,
Huw
P.S: Struggling to silence that inner critic? I get the frustration that comes with it. My new mastermind concept is designed to help you embrace your fullest potential without fear. Shoot me an email, and I’ll be happy to walk you through it.
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Huw Edwards
Founder & CEO, h3.xyz
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