Thanksgiving of Trust

Tomorrow is a day of thanksgiving and blessing for me.  It is the 4^th Open Innovation Summit at BW’s Center for Innovation & Growth (CIG).  My friend, Saul Kaplan from the Business Innovation Factory, is the keynote speaker and two other friends are on the panel. For the past 3 Summits, friends-clients-colleagues have taken a flyer (literally), trusting me, to come share stories, sacrificing a few days at the office.

I am honored and very humbled that these people would give up their time, other opportunities and fly or drive hours to share their stories with people they don’t know in a part of the country they have no ties to because I asked.

Why did they do this? Trust. Trust is a very precious gift –to give and to receive.  It must be treated with tremendous stewardship and care.  I have amazing friends and colleagues.  Some of these relationships started in real life and some started via Twitter or “cold calls”.  How these relationships started has no bearing on their depth and meaning.  What has bearing is their nurturing, transparency, vulnerability and sharing.  Yes, sharing.  Trusting relationships are gifts to share.

So, as you approach thanksgiving, take a few minutes to reflect on the people who trust you, who’ll take a flyer on you, who’ll support you.  Do you do the same for them? How have you positively impacted their lives at any level? Brought them wisdom? Brought them joy? Each and every one of them is a gift that’s been entrusted to you – treat those gifts accordingly…let them know.

Happy Thanksgiving.