"It's better to be the least experienced person at a table full of people you can learn from than the most experienced person at a table where nobody challenges you."

When my head starts spinning with thoughts lik "Would it even make a difference if I wasn't here?" I already know where that train of thought is heading. I'll start wondering if I'm interesting enough. Smart enough. Successful enough. Or simply whether I belong at the table I'm sitting at.
For me, this feeling usually shows up when I find myself surrounded by people who seem to have everything figured out. Sometimes it's at a work dinner where everyone is talking about things I know absolutely nothing about. Sometimes it's when I'm meeting a completely new group of friends. And sometimes it's when I join Paul and his work friends. They're only a few years older than me, yet somehow I convince myself they've already accomplished so much more than I have.
Suddenly I feel like the odd one out. Like everyone accidentally forgot to tell me I wasn't actually invited.
If you've ever felt like that too, you're definitely not alone.

There's even a name for it: imposter syndrome.
It's the feeling that you somehow fooled everyone into thinking you're good enough, even though you secretly believe you aren't. Maybe you've felt it after an exam. You leave convinced you failed, only to receive one of the best grades in the class. Or maybe you get a new responsibility at work and immediately think, "They've definitely given this to the wrong person." Even though your boss clearly believes you're capable.

The funny thing is that the people around us often believe in us long before we believe in ourselves. I wish I could tell you I have the magic solution to stop feeling this way. I don't. Not yet. But I have noticed one thing.
Every time I do something that scares me, my comfort zone grows just a little. And every room that once felt intimidating slowly starts feeling familiar. 
There's a quote I think about whenever I feel like I don't belong somewhere:
"It's better to be the least experienced person at a table full of people you can learn from than the most experienced person at a table where nobody challenges you."
Because maybe feeling like the odd one out isn't a sign that you're in the wrong place. Maybe it's proof that you're growing.

So the next time that little voice tells you that everyone else belongs there more than you do, try looking at it differently. Maybe you're exactly where you're supposed to be. Maybe this uncomfortable feeling isn't there to tell you to leave. Maybe it's there to remind you that you're becoming the kind of person who belongs in rooms you once thought were far beyond you. And honestly? I think that's something to be incredibly proud of.

Btw... this picture was taken on a day where I genuinely felt like the odd one out.