Can you train confidence with gratitude?

Last fall I was listening to a School of Greatness podcast interview with sports psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais about High Performance Mindset Training and an idea peaked my interest - we can train optimism and confidence by writing down three amazing things that we are grateful for each day.

I've been studying gratitude for a few years now and try to incorporate it into my everyday life, but the idea that we can actually TRAIN (this guy is a sports psychologist after all) our minds to make a change? This was very intriguing.

So on Oct. 18, 2017 I started a daily practice of writing down what I've been calling “The Three Amazings”. At first, it was sometimes difficult to come up with my "amazings". But as I persisted, I realized that these ”amazings" didn't have to be huge events. They could be as simple as a pleasant interaction with a stranger, watching two friends unexpectedly run into each other, or even simply noticing the warmth of the sun. Sure, I could also be grateful for big concerts and life events, but as I got further along in my daily ritual, I started to notice that I would look for these “amazings” throughout the day and that they were happening around me all the time, everywhere. I couldn't believe I had been missing so much!

I still write down my daily “amazings”. So, have I improved my confidence and optimism? I'm not sure there’s a clinical test to measure, but I’ve definitely noticed a shift in my life and mindset. Call it whatever you want - I don't necessarily feel the need to label it.