It's Time to Trust

Trust between  humans is as powerful as water is to sustaining life. We need trust to survive. Yet the trust we need for sustaining life and thriving as individuals is challenged each day. We encounter trust in every human interaction. Trust is prevalent wherever you play, eat, pray, work, entertain, sleep, heal, laugh, and cry. Trust is prevalent whether you are in power or in poverty. Experiencing trust is being human. But being human is not all that easy. There exists a tremendous amount of distrust within society.

For as much trust we put into the relationships that enables our economy to grow, enhances our access to quality healthcare and education, cares for our children and loved ones, protects and serves our communities, cleans up our environment, keeps our transportation systems safe, and ensures our democracy is free - - - the prevalence of unethical and unaccountable behaviors is breeding more distrust within society and challenging the ability of humanity to reach its fullest potential.

Trust is our last hope. When I think about the future of my two sons I feel threatened, overwhelmed, and terrified by the state of affairs throughout the world. Our children have been born into a world riddled by complex and converging challenges: terrorism; geopolitical conflict; ever-present financial crisis; the proliferation of biological and nuclear weapons; greed and corruption; people and drug trafficking; racism; unfettered introduction of technology with little discourse to its impact on society; unsustainable consumption of natural resources; and the ongoing degradation of ecosystems and habitats that are essential to providing clean air, water and biodiversity of life - - - to name a few.

The choice is ours. It is up to "you, me, and WE" to decide whether we will succumb to the tools of distrust (lack of values, unethical behavior, fear, greed, ignorance) and follow a discourse of a disillusioned existence; or will we unravel the power and potential of positive trust, so that we can mobilize our intellect and resources in-step with our passion and desire to become all that we can be as individuals, while raising the bar for humanity to achieve a sustainable future.

Thank you for joining me on this journey to discover the enormous value of trust in all human interactions. It's Time to Trust!

Mark Coleman is the author of “Time to Trust: Mobilizing Humanity for a Sustainable Future” and “The Sustainability Generation: The Politics of Change and Why Personal Accountability is Essential NOW!” Mr. Coleman is President of Convergence Mitigation Management (CMM), a management consultancy focused in the areas of sustainability, risk, and innovation. Mr. Coleman resides in the Finger Lakes region of New York with his wife Aileen and two boys, Owen and Neal.

Follow Mark on Twitter @TheSustainGen