"Trust is Key"

It was troubling, at least for me, to see the bickering that preceded President Obama’s message to our nation’s school children about the importance of working hard in school, graduating and becoming productive contributors to our society.

I think it exposes a deeper challenge to our nation’s future than improving the achievement scores, graduation rates and career/educational opportunities for our nation’s youth. Without question these challenges are real, but the backlash to the president’s chat with our children also, in my opinion, exposes something equally dangerous: the lack of trust prevalent in America today.

And trust me, when trust goes out the window, there is little hope anything worthwhile can be accomplished. Think about it, what’s usually the first thing that dooms a relationship? Somebody acts in a way that violates the trust that is the very essence of intimacy, whether romantic, professional or societal. Once trust erodes, fear and doubt permeates the foundation. It is weakened, vulnerable to collapse. What good comes from operating from fear and doubt? Little, if any, I would suggest.

Trust is the key. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking success in a marriage, business, athletic team or the leader of the free world encouraging children to realize the importance and responsibility of education.

In each and every Run to Daylight presentation, as the Comeback Coach, I encourage others to focus on three things that help trust thrive. After all, when talking about trust, we can only control ourselves, right? I can’t do a darn thing – except being trustworthy myself - that will make you more trustworthy, right? It starts and ends with me – and you, and everybody else. The three traits are – daily - do only things that honor you, nurture those dependent upon you and add value to the communities you serve.

That’s being trustworthy, defined as “worthy of trust, reliable.” Where might it be time for you to become more trustworthy - at home, work or community? Where is it time to really step forward and be a person of your word? Someone others can trust? Defined as “a firm belief in the reliability or truth of a person or thing?”

When the motives of our president, when encouraging our children about education, are questioned, it speaks volumes about how mistrustful our nation has become. It’s paralyzing progress! Trust is the key. Without it, we’re doomed – at home, work and community - to failure with nobody but ourselves to blame. This week be part of the solution. Be trustworthy at all times.