The Happy Stack Podcast

You Can’t Build a Life You Love If You Don’t Trust Yourself

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You can have the goals, the plans, the vision—but if you don’t trust yourself to follow through, none of it sticks.

In this episode of The Happy Stack Podcast, I dive into why self-trust is the real foundation of confidence, consistency, and success.

I break down the neuroscience behind why we stop believing our own promises, how prediction errors erode motivation, and what it actually takes to rebuild trust with yourself. If you’re tired of saying “this time will be different” and not believing it, this episode will change how you move.

    

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

  • Most people don’t have a strategy problem—they have a self-trust problem

  • Every broken promise creates a “prediction error” that teaches your brain not to believe you

  • Confidence comes from competence, and competence comes from repetition

  • High achievers excel at keeping promises to others—while betraying themselves

  • Five ways to rebuild self-trust:

    1. Lower the bar — Start with micro-promises you can actually keep
       
    2. Stop outsourcing validation — Your choices must align with your values
       
    3. Repair, don’t punish — Guilt doesn’t build trust; reflection does
       
    4. Create proof rituals — Track small daily wins to rebuild evidence
       
    5. Align goals with values — Misalignment erodes trust; alignment restores it

      6.       

      Links and Resources:

      Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

      The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

      Success Takes Courage Book: https://a.co/d/dgOqpbj

         

      If this episode hit home, share it with someone who’s rebuilding trust in themselves too.

      Subscribe, leave a review, and choose one small promise you can keep today—because trust isn’t built in big moments. It’s built in the quiet ones, when no one is watching but you.

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      The Happy Stack PodcastBy Terri-Ann