Trust

A Lifelong Practice

Over the past two weeks, I’ve noticed a theme that has been occurring…We like to act like or maybe think that trust is a skill that once acquired, one has for life.  I’ve got news for all of us – myself included.  It’s not.  It’s much more like a muscle that we work to build up, but without the proper exercise, that muscle grows week again.  Or another way to think about it might be to liken it to a yoga practice.  It’s not something that you ever really master.  It’s a lifelong practice.

One of the reasons that I love working with the team at Idea Hunt, (aside from having an inclusive and supportive global community that is awesome) is that they take their company culture seriously.  One of the main tenants of their company culture is trust.  On my second day with the team, I was trusted with an incredible experience.  The founder and CEO based on my prior experience with the platform, and his belief that I could do it, trusted me to pitch the company! I presented in front of three other companies to a huge potential client, on the second day!  Had the roles been reversed, I don’t know that I could have let someone take the future of my company in their hands.  It was an incredible experience and it got me thinking a lot about trust, and how I can gain more of it…or should I say give more of it in my daily life.

Well, the Universe must have heard my thoughts because the very next weekend I was helping another awesome company – Gurus – in Snowshoe for the Wanderlust Festival.  While we were working the festival, we made friends with these awesome acroyogis.  These gals and guys were so awesome, they came and did a workshop right at our booth.  When everyone else had tried it, they turned to me and asked if I wanted to try…Here it was…my chance to trust someone…inside me a voice firmly said no thank you.  But I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.  I had the best coaches who were eager to teach me, at Wanderlust.  I had to do it.  It was exciting and scary at the same time to totally give your physical wellbeing over to someone you just met.  It was awesome!!  I’m so glad that I did it! I had so much fun and learned so much about myself and my ability to accomplish new things.  It definitely taught me a lot about my trust practice and how this is a lifelong journey that we are on.

Every day we receive opportunities to flex and strengthen these trust muscles.  Whether it’s trusting someone to do the right thing or to do their job or presentation well, or really, when it comes down to the most basic levels trusting others not to hurt us or trusting ourselves and our abilities to handle situations.  I grew up with a complete lack of trust in myself in social situations.  It has been a long journey to learn to trust myself and I still find times where I have to get back at it and start practicing again – like this weekend and taking the hands…or feet of another to learn something new and beautiful.