When I was younger, I used to get bothered by my mom.
I specifically remember the phone ringing when I was 12 and becoming more self-aware. She answered the phone, recognized who it was, and then immediately launched into sharing what was on her heart and mind. She went on for what to me felt like 5 minutes and then, finally, she paused… “and Lynn, how are you…” — and that would be the first moment Lynn had a chance to speak or even share what she was calling about.
Maybe I was anxious — or worried that Lynn was just calling for a small matter — but over time, I’ve begun to see that this instinct was my mom’s way of building trust.
She leads with her own vulnerable sharing.
She sets the stage with being honest about what she’s in the middle of.
She trusts others alongside her to reciprocate… and sure enough I saw incredible numbers of people grow in their deep affection for and trust of my mom.
Today, I wonder about how to grow in my own vulnerability.
I offer you these two questions I ask myself as I start today:
Can I take a moment and chose to be more authentic in sharing first from my heart or gut or deeper place today?
Who is somebody I will talk to later today that I might be willing to take the risk with and be more vulnerable?
Vulnerability doesn’t come after trust — it precedes it. Leaping into the unknown, when done alongside others, causes the solid ground of trust to materialize beneath our feet.
Daniel Coyle, The Culture Code