Trust is something very dear to my heart. In this article, I’d like to focus on one key element that, to me, defines trust: TRUTH. I challenge you today to FULLY operate in truth!

I believe that TRUTH is the foundation of TRUST. Wouldn’t you agree? If we want to be trusted then we must be truthful. So, why it is so difficult to be honest? Jim Clemmers described it this way,

“One way to explore our inner level of true honesty and integrity is look at how much we trust others. Since we see the world as we are, any feelings that people are basically dishonest and can’t be trusted may be revealing more about me than them. One of the hazards of lying, is not just that people wouldn’t believe us, it’s also that we can’t believe anyone else.”

I love this! Self-examination is the first step. Once we understand what motivates our actions, we can resolve issues at the root.

Be consistent. Establishing trust requires consistency. I trust that the chair will hold me up simply because it has consistently held me up in the past. When we are inconsistent in our dependability, honesty, integrity and loyalty, those around us will have a hard time trusting what we say and do.

Be committed. Commit to truth! The saying is true, “honesty is the best policy”. We must understand the consequences when we operate in untruth. When trust is fractured, it takes time to restore. When fear and greed take a foothold in our life, honesty is difficult to attain. I want to encourage you to consciously let fear and greed go!

I challenge you to either begin or continue to develop and nurture TRUST and TRUTH in your life. Follow these action steps:

• Be real with your intentions
• Line up your words with your actions
• Be sincere and open to feedback
• BE CONTAGIOUS!

Imagine how different your life would be if everyone operated with these principles. We can begin by setting an example and being contagious in those spaces.