Trust

Good evening all. It has been quite some time since I have penned a blog post - my apologies to my fans fan (my darling daughter) for making you wait so long.

Tonight I want to touch on Trust. Trust in life, Trust in your faith, Trust in business. Trust is undoubtedly one of the most powerful tools in one's life. Don't believe me? Look at some of the people you have trusted in your past that have betrayed that trust - did it cut to the bone? I bet it did, regardless of how tough you are. To truly trust is to open yourself up - not an easy thing to do for most.

Growing up, I was the gullible type - always looking for someone to cling to - trying to find somewhere to belong perhaps. I opened myself up quickly and certainly trusted many of the wrong people early on. While many of the betrayals hurt, I learned from them and as I grew from a child to a man I took those lessons with me and held them close. I don't blame anyone for my early issues with trust - I look back on it as a valuable lesson in life that has continued to serve me well as I navigate this road we call life.

In the Army, I certainly learned trust could mean life or death. Trust is key in our Armed Forces and I cannot stress that enough. Once you lose the trust of your comrades there is no gaining it back no matter how hard you might try. I was fortunate to surround myself during my twenty years in the Army with those that I could trust - those who I knew had my back no matter what might happen. Many of those are still still close to me today as the trust we built grew into strong friendships. Some sadly paid the ultimate sacrifice but they trusted me to watch over their Families which I continue to do.

In business, or retirement (if you call it that - too young to retire folks) I continue to place trust as one of my key values. I was fortunate enough (I like to call it blessed) to meet my soul mate who holds the same beliefs and values. As a Clarksville Real Estate team we know that the trust that we develop with our clients is a factor to our success. Obviously there is more to our success in real estate than trust alone, but as in life, trust early on in business is crucial. We don't stretch the truth nor do we steer clients toward a particular property just for the sake of the sale. Fortunately for us, we are not looking to get rich, and our reputation and relationships are worth more than the bottom line.

One thing I want to touch on, but not so much to turn this conversation (or post) political is trust in government. In this case we will incorporate the banking industry which I feel is intertwined with our government. It is obvious that regardless one's political affiliation, Americans as a whole have lost any trust we once had in our government and in specific, our elected leaders. Again, like in the Army and in business, trust in your elected leaders is critical - both for them as it is for your Family as their action (or lack thereof) impacts you. Fortunately, there is a limit to every elected leader's tenure and we hold the keys to whether they continue to serve or not. This Summer and Fall's elections will certainly tell the tale. Nough said on this.

Lastly, you simply have to have faith - and in order to do so, you must have trust. I have faith in my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Regardless of the name your Higher Power goes by, you must believe that He is guiding you and sometimes challenging you to do the right thing. Without it, you are simply lost.

I am a bit rusty and hope I did not ramble on too much. As always, these are my thoughts and my thoughts alone. A great thing about living in the land of the free - we have the right to speak our minds. Thanks to all those who have defended this right - especially those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

God Bless and good night.