Impostor Syndrome

 There is something referred to as the “Impostor Syndrome.”  It is about feeling unworthy of something.  An Alcoholic who does their step four and five, might see deeply the great gift of sobriety that they have been given.  They could not sober up by their own power.  Besides feeling thankful, they often feel shame and guilt at the mess and wreckage of their life.  They feel unworthy of sobriety.  This is the Impostor Syndrome.  Unfortunately, young people don’t have enough of this.  Children receiving their First Holy Communion believe and are taught they earned to by good behavior and going through all the classes and preparation.  They think they earned their Christmas gifts and birthday gifts and so on because they were good.  It cannot be a gift if it is earned.  I did not earn the gift of waking up sober this morning, or waking up at all.  A bit of impostor syndrome is not all bad.  We are all a work in progress.