Impostor syndrome doesn’t leave with age. It leaves with action. It never fully goes away, it always tries to creep back in. But every action you take becomes proof against it.
Back in secondary school, my classmates changed my surname from Okunloro to Okunwowo—“wowo” meaning ugly. It hit me hard. I didn’t make many friends then, and even now I don’t keep a friend group. I know a lot of good people, but only a few have become my real friends over the years. It affected my self-esteem, no doubt. But thank God for my mum, she reminded me early on of my worth and strengths.
When I was about to join Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, I asked myself, “Who’s even going to add me?” I still joined—and my following grew.
Before my first comedy show at Unilag, that voice came back: “Who will buy your tickets?” I went ahead and sold out the Unilag main auditorium.
That voice still shows up sometimes. But I shut it down with proof from my own actions. That’s how I win.
If you don’t take action, that voice wins. And it’s not the fault of people around you—it’s on you. It’s your life. You can choose what voice to listen to and what truth to live by.
What’s the one luxury you can’t live without?
Michael Okunloro | Elevate Your Style 