I’m very happy this is a ten year journey. It gives me plenty of time to stray on my path and still reach my ultimate goal. 

After my last post back in January, I had a couple of obstacles get in my way. One was I got locked out of my website and couldn’t prove I was the owner. Finally as the end of this year approached I finally got a real phone number to call with a person on the other end of the line (instead of a form sheet with very particular instructions for proof of ownership that I did not have) and voila! I was back in business, able to post again to my heart’s content. 

I also changed my approach to asking for dollars. I had started with asking friends and family of course, pulling on my social networks. From there I also spent time wandering around Target and Walmart telling people about my journey and asking them to be a part of it. But this approach didn’t feel right. I felt like I had to convince people that I wasn’t scamming them out of a dollar and that I wasn’t trying to sell them something. For me, it’s the connection, the organic connection that matters more than the $1 exchanged. Ideally I want each person to be connected to the journey after they join it and continue on it with me if they chose to. With the randomness of Target and Walmart, the connection felt very much of-the-moment, doomed to be forgotten about after we parted ways.  

So I went back to the drawing board. 

I knew that once people started to meet me and get to know me I could establish trust over time. That’s always been my gift. I’m very consistent and I show up again and again for days, weeks, months, and years. My promise is my word and I mean it every time I give it. 

I would love to know for you, what inspires trust. Trust is a big component of this project in big and small ways. What inspires trust for you?