Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges

The authentic self is what we seek to access when we are becoming present. Cuddy writes: “I think of it as the experience of knowing and feeling that you’re being your most sincere and courageous self. It is autonomously and honestly expressing your values through your actions. It comes and goes, but we recognize it because it ‘feels right’” (43). The authentic self is not always present, but can be accessed with power poses and being mindful of the moment we’re in. Cuddy argues that challenging situations will always work out better if we bring our authentic selves to the table, rather than trying to fake bravado or shrink in on ourselves.

Impostorism, also referred to as impostor syndrome, is a state a person experiences when they do not feel that they have earned their place, such as in an academic program or leadership position. They fear that someone will discover that they do not deserve to be in that position and will be dismissed. This feeling plagues the majority of people at some point, and is exacerbated by the feeling of isolation when people do not talk about feeling like an imposter.