Trusting to Trust

This one will be short.

I was asked a little while back how I've dealt with broken trust (referring to a couple squashed startups in the last 2 years with a bunch of money lost - an overwhelming amount being in unpaid time [sweat equity… don’t do it lol]).

I hadn't really thought about it, if I'm being honest, but as I started to share my answer I realized that I had been pondering it somewhere in the back of my mind for a while.

And I've been thinking about it since.

Trust is both a noun and a verb.

I've often thought of trust as a destination. Some place to arrive at and remain.

And as I've been learning in the last handful of years, that's just one piece of it.

In order to gain a trust (noun: firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something) in something or someone, I have to take a risk by trusting it/them (verb: to believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of.).

I arrive at that 'destination' of trust by taking the deliberate action of trusting.

And it’s hardest upfront too, at least that’s what I’m learning.

Think of it like going from 0% to 1% (MASSIVE shift), but then going from 1% to 2% and then 2% to 3% and then 3% to 4%.

You decrease the relative effort by 50% each time; and each cycle, it’s that much easier to add 1% because what you have is that much more.

Every analogy breaks down, but that’s what went through my head yesterday.

And you know what, it’s a choice.

Especially when it comes to trusting God - we have to make the deliberate choice to trust even (no, especially) when we’re uncertain.

Trust isn’t as much a feeling as it is a choice, sacrifice, and then reward.

I have about 3x this length written up as a part 2, but I’m going to save it, I think it needs refining and I’m running on fumes right now.

So enjoy that very short thought, and honestly, I’m on the road all day tomorrow, so it would be fun to hear from you - what are your thoughts on all this??