Time to Trust

The more I read, the more I speak with colleagues, friends and family, the more I observe in the shops and markets … the more convinced I am that it is time to trust - again.

We witnessed a perfect storm of greed, denial and lack of transparency that has left us in a state of paralysis. We are afraid to step out and take action or risk. How could we? Many have lost jobs, homes, portfolios and prospect of early retirement. For those who may not have tangible losses or for whom standard of living is not threatened are still stymied by the pervasive message of fear and doom.

I believe we co-created this dynamic. And, only we can get us out of it.

We could blame our leaders – or even the system – for hiding or manipulating the truth. That’s easy, but it offers no solution. We, as a society, invited greed by too often believing in the incredible – that which exists only in our minds. And, even with sure tell signs that our greed was getting the better of us, we stayed in denial, hanging on to the mirage as a safe way to avoid reality.

So, we’re faced with the consequences. And, we simply don’t know whom to trust. We’re even finding it hard to trust ourselves. And, I believe that’s where it starts: with each of us.

We can accept this as our fate - and watch the forces continue to cripple us; or, we can choose to reignite our powerful imaginations and rebuild. I know there must be a “silver lining” in the cloud that I helped produce. For me, it is to be stay centered and conscious in reality without losing my vision or giving up on my dreams. In that spirit, I can trust myself - and, all those who trust themselves.

As we inaugurate our 44th President and usher in a new era, it’s a good time to trust.

Passion rules!

Barry Kaplan