Gratitude is a Confidence Strategy

Welcome to my garage!

Several years ago, during Covid, Henry and I started writing down on huge Post-it Notes everything that we appreciated. The big. The small. The insignificant. Like a call from a friend. Or cool websites. Or an open day on our calendar. Or our wonderful USPS mailman, Andrew, who has since retired. Sun when we needed it. And the flowers in the spring. And our daughters. And our health.

We kept adding until the Post-it’s were full. And we’ve kept them all these years on the wall in our garage. Today, however, we’re cleaning out the garage and I can’t bear to throw these gratitudes away. The simple act of noticing what we appreciated changed how we felt during Covid. And even now, when I re-read them, it grounds me and softens me and reminds me of what I could control, when so much felt out of our control.

We can forget that gratitude is a form of confidence. Not the loud, flashy kind, but the steady, quiet kind that helps us feel more secure and more centered, even in chaos. And that kind of confidence spills over into how we show up every day. How we treat people. How we respond when the world or work or life feels uncertain again.

So, this month, here’s your challenge -- Start your own Thankful Wall, one Post-it at a time. Name what’s good.

Gratitude isn’t just about being thankful. It’s about being resilient and determined and hopeful. Confidence thrives when we keep going, even in tough times.

Thank you for reading my wall.