What does “trust first” feel like to get? What does it feel like to give?
The other day I was talking with a friend who was sharing with me about their difficult professional journey.
In job after job, they struggled. Always working hard. Rarely feeling like they were enough, they mattered, they made a difference. It was hard.
Until one day they found themselves at a different kind of company.
When they described that difference they said…
“And at this company, they decided to trust me first, even before they knew the quality and caliber of my work. And *that* made all the difference.”
It was quite moving to hear.
It also got me thinking…
How often do we feel like we go into a job, or a relationship, or to a dinner party, or even a conversation where we feel that we’re not offered trust first?
How often do *we* go into a given situation and not offer trust first, ourselves?
So take a minute…
Think about the last time someone offered their trust first. Or the last time that you offered your trust first.
When was that? Who was it with? What was it like?
What kind of role does trust play in your regular interactions… with the people you’re closest to? With the people you’re meeting for the first time? With yourself?