Who do you trust

I want to talk about trust. How do we build trust? What does it take to keep trust?
In KungFu, we begin our journey as a white belt, not really sure if we are on the right path. We are open to learning something new and by virtue of showing up, have put some trust in the instructors to introduce us to their art. As we are laying the ground work, we are gaining the trust of the instructors by how we are processing the information that we are receiving. Are we showing respect, are we doing what they ask (practicing), are we demonstrating that we can learn by retaining what they show us, so they are able to show us more? They are also earning our trust by giving us stuff to learn, not too much and not too little. Over time, they discover what we need to grow and prosper and we learn to trust that they know best.
Throughout our martial arts training, this process repeats itself over and over again. Whether you have been promoted and moved to a different class or have decided to try your hand at Tai Chi or San Shou, you begin the trust building process again, with a new teacher or with the same one and a slightly different curriculum. Trust is one of the foundations that we build on from the very first day that we step on the mats.
We keep that precious trust that we have fostered by trying our hardest each and every time, and by being honest about our abilities and disabilities. Our instructors need to know that no matter what our belt level, we are there to learn, and our students need to know that as long as they are trying, we are there to teach and motivate them.
You might be wondering why this relationship is so important? Well, our instructors need to know that we will respect the skills that we are being taught. And we, the students need to know, that the instructors will respect us as they are teaching us.  We can not have respect without the trust.
These are my thoughts for this week,