Trust Reflection

One of our assignments was a reading about Trust from Houston and Sokolow's The Spiritual Dimension of Leadership.  Every time that I read something from that book, I'm always connecting it to something in my life.  It "brings me back to me"...I reflect upon my purpose here on Earth.  I love this book!  Below are just a few points that resonated with me:

• "The very act of trusting people unleashes a powerful force that empowers them and brings out the best in them" (p. 131).
• My thoughts: I thought that this was a powerful quote.  On a professional level, it reminds me of a gradual release of responsibility for my students.  When I trust them to be responsible learners, they seem to take ownership and do a better job with a task rather than when I delegate and make decisions for them.  Same is true on a personal level, as a parent to a child who is let's say is "free spirited," I often find that when I don't trust her with certain things, she gets sad about it.  However, when I do trust her, she takes a sense of ownership and wants to prove me right.  I can also see that she feels good about herself, which leads into the next quote. 
• "One of the keys is letting people know that you are placing trust in them or trying to build trust with them, then inviting them to live up to the trust that has been given" (p. 133).
• When I give my "free spirited child" the opportunity to do certain things, she feels like she needs to live up to the hype and becomes more responsible and independent.
• "You can't do anything for someone else that you can't do for yourself first" (p. 136).
• I think that this is one area that I myself struggle with.  I don't always have a lot of faith in myself and am always second guessing my decisions. I wish that I could trust myself more and know that if I make a mistake that it will be okay.  If I trust myself first, then it will be easier to trust others.  I need to know WHO I am & believe in myself. 
• "You are what you are.  Therefore, you have to accept what you are at any point in time--and part of what you are is a work in progress.  Nobody's perfect" (p. 136).
• I love this quote.  I need to print it off and keep it in a place where I see it often.  Like I said earlier, I am always second guessing my choices.  I need to be confident in knowing that mistakes are okay and that I'm only learning from them.  I wish it was easier, but I am a perfectionist and I like things to be perfect.