I want you to think about something. When was the last time you really took a leap,

maybe outside your comfort zone, when you did something that scared you

and then you crushed it you know you gave that speech you started that project you talked to that person

how did that make you feel my next guest says experiences like these, where we take a risk and then successfully

accomplish something not only take a bit of confidence, but they also help us build even more

confidence. And and importantly make us happier.

Confidence is a bridge over uncertainty.

The future is always uncertain, but confidence allows you to price in uncertainty, to be able to handle

uncertainty and the possibility of failure.

That's Ian Robertson.

He's a neuropsychologist. He works with Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland,

as well as the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas.

He is author of How Confidence Works works the new science of self-belief.

His basic premise is this. Even accomplishing small tasks help us to build confidence, help us to feel successful.

The greatest source of success is success and success like confidence acts like

compound interest, it's exponential,

a little bit grows steadily

because of the mathematics of confidence, if you like,

the mathematics of success.

But Ian will acknowledge that getting those wins, building that

confidence, it's not always easy. He has been studying psychology in the brain for

decades. He's published books and articles. He has a reputation as a renowned

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