Treat Your Trust Like a Diamond

It’s tough, but priceless. Don’t let anyone steal it.

Anyone can break a promise. They’re so fragile, after all. Your boss. A friend. A coworker. Even your spouse. But certain people go beyond a chipped vow every now and then. They take your trust for granted entirely. And hey, maybe you give it away.

Start marking up the value on your trust.

It’s a priceless resource. Sure, our ability to trust can endure some real punishment. But not an infinite amount. Everyone who lets us down flakes away at our trust just a little bit. Trust the wrong person too many times, and you’ll be left with dust.

Quick example. My boss turned down my request for a course release so I could finish a book project. I’m pretty sure he did that so he could buy a flat screen TV for his office.

My book was already accepted for publication. So basically, I was asking for something I should’ve gotten last year.

You can imagine the bleeding heart routine he put on. “This is the kind of stuff I lose sleep over,” he told me. “You’re a real asset to us. We don’t want to lose you. What can I do?”

Nothing. The one thing he could’ve done, he didn’t.