The Remarkable Doctor

On July 5th 2016 I published an article on LinkedIn titled:

“I'm just a bog standard doctor”

Today, on 25th January 2025, I am republishing the same article here on TOSCEO, but with some additional closing comments at the end.

Enjoy the story, and share it with whoever comes upon your heart.

I'm just a bog standard doctor

Our minds are the most wonderful yet potentially life inhibiting things we all have.

Why do we often have such low opinions of ourselves? Why can't we see all our strengths and positive elements of how we lead our lives, yet others can? What the hell are those voices in our head doing to our state of mind?

Why did my doctor recently say to me "I'm just a bog standard doctor, what do I know?"

So the irony is, the reason I was at the doctors was to get advice on helping me instill some greater belief in myself, and on what I can do to get back to sleeping properly at night (after a week of hardly any sleep whilst laying in bed worrying, stressing, exaggerating - basically my mind racing).

Ah the pressures of every day life, plus the addition of running a business (did anyone ever say running a business was easy?).

BUT, what about low self esteem?

In the last 12 months I've been doing a lot of soul searching, aiming to understand exactly what it is about my mind that so often holds me back, and stops me from truly embracing my life that I have created so far.

Its lead me to go right back to my early childhood and rethink some of my experiences, but that detail is for another time.

Why is it that I often feel like I'm going to fail? That I've just been fortunate to get to where I have in business, and that at some stage I'm going to get that tap on the shoulder and be told "right come on now Paul, it's time to give this up, get back to doing something you are good at."

Let me introduce to you Imposter Syndrome.

Apparently Imposter Syndrome affects almost all ambitious people, particularly entrepreneurs and even more so female entrepreneurs.

In summary it's where you are unable to internalise your successes. You feel like a fraud. You are out of your depth and you are going to be "found out".

Hells bells what a syndrome to live with.

It's almost like it wants to punish ambitious, motivated people who are trying to fulfil their potential.

It's what led my doctor to say "I'm just a bog standard doctor" a few seconds after providing me quite simply priceless advice on what I should do next when I was sat there with tears in my eyes (battling my own imposter syndrome).

As I discovered and started to understand imposter syndrome, I came across one video which has quite simply been life changing for me. I recommend investing 39 minutes of your time to watch this, if any of what I've shared resonates with you.

In the video Chris shares 5 ways to face up to imposter syndrome, including this one:

Stop beating yourself up at not been at the level/experience/knowledge of others in front of you - stop and look behind you at all the people who are looking up to you with all your knowledge and experience - those that you are inspiring.

A few weeks later I was back at my doctors, not for myself but with one of my daughters who'd had had an allergic reaction. Whilst I was with my doctor I said to her "Do you know when I was in recently asking for your advice, and you said "what do I know, I'm just a bog standard doctor". "

My doctor was looking at me with a slight sense of curiosity and slight concern as she said "yes"...

I said to her "You are are a remarkable doctor and you should never think of yourself in such a negative way again."

I hope she holds on to that when her imposter starts taking over her minds thoughts in the future.

Closing Comments For 2025 & Beyond

So, when you speak to other people, whether your close family, your work colleagues, your friends, your neighbours, your brothers and sisters in Christ…

Are you speaking words to build others up, or do your words sometimes tear others down?

What about the words that you speak about yourself, either in your mind or to other people?

Are you saying words about yourself that are positive, empowering and truthful, or are you limiting yourself, your abilities and your life?

Most importantly, are your speaking the life-giving Word of God over yourself and other people?

Is Jesus Your Lord & Saviour?

If you haven’t already, it is now time for you to be born-again by receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour!

Head over to the Become Born-Again website to read God’s purpose for your life.