💡 A Thought to Ponder
Have you ever given someone the benefit of the doubt or dismissed bad behavior, even when your gut was telling you otherwise?
Maybe you thought:
🔸 “I’m probably making it a bigger deal than it is.”
🔸 “Maybe they didn’t mean it that way.”
🔸 “I see them, and I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.”
But experience most often teaches us that ignoring those early nudges usually leads to regret. 🚩
📖 The Story
For me, the internal dialogue always starts with hope.
Hope that I’m misreading the situation.
Hope that my gut is wrong (even though it rarely is).
Hope that they’ll rise to the occasion.
I've learned—sometimes the hard way—that the line between giving grace, enabling, and accepting bad behavior is thin.
I know how it feels to want to believe in people’s potential while also recognizing that some will never be who we want or need them to be.
One of the biggest shifts I’ve made is learning to trust those little flags without waiting for a big moment of confirmation—and speaking up if that big moment (aka: when crap hits the fan) does happen.
When someone shows you who they are, it’s okay to believe them the first time.
🌿 Rooted in Reality: Recognizing the Signs Early
🚩 1️⃣ Saying one thing but doing another.
Maybe a client or business partner talks a great game—promising they’ll follow through, support you, or take responsibility. But when it comes time to act, their words don’t match their actions. A broken promise here and there? It happens. But when it’s a pattern, it’s a choice.
🚩 2️⃣ Repeatedly breaking commitments.
You agree on a deadline, a collaboration, or a deal—only to find yourself chasing them down, extending timelines, or picking up their slack.
✔️ The first time, you might excuse it.
✔️ The second time, you wonder.
✔️ By the third time, you have your answer.
Reliability isn’t built on words; it’s built on consistent action.
🚩 3️⃣ Shifting terms reveal someone’s true priorities.
Maybe you made a verbal agreement, only for them to change the terms later to suit them. That’s not forgetfulness or an oversight—that’s a reflection of their values.
🔄 One Small Shift That Changes Everything
Instead of waiting for a bigger moment of confirmation, trust the little flags.
Believe people’s actions the first time.
✔️ If they don’t communicate, don’t keep chasing them.
✔️ If they repeatedly cross a boundary, stop redrawing it.
✔️ If they show you they aren’t who you hoped they’d be, let them go.
According to Harvard Business Review, high-trust workplaces outperform low-trust workplaces by 50% in productivity and retention.
Trust isn’t just a business value—it’s a personal necessity.
💬 Making It Interactive: Join the Conversation!
📩 What’s helped you move on quicker when someone showed you who they are? Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear how you navigate this.
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