Dear Lene,
I've been working a lot with trust lately.
How we build it. How we nurture it. What happens when it's broken, and how we find our way back.
Through this work, I've become increasingly aware of just how much of our lives is built on trust.
Trust is a foundation we build our lives upon.
We live with trust every single day.
Trust in the people around us. In our families, our friends, and the people we love. In the systems and society we're part of. In people taking responsibility, keeping their word, and treating one another with respect.
And at the heart of all this is the trust we have in ourselves.
In our own judgment. In the choices we make. In what we know and feel to be true and right for us.
But how do we actually build this trust?
I believe it begins with the little things.
Getting up in the morning. Showing up when we say we will. Following through on what we've promised. Taking responsibility, even when no one is watching.
And perhaps most importantly, choosing to do what we know is right, even when it would be easier not to.
Because the little choices aren't as little as we think.
They become habits. Our habits shape how we live. And over time, they create a foundation of trust.
Trust in ourselves.
Not because we never make mistakes.
But because we know we're doing our best to act with honesty, responsibility, and love. Because we can acknowledge our mistakes, learn from them, and take
responsibility for the consequences of our choices.
We don't need to know how everything will turn out.
We need to trust that we can meet whatever comes our way.
And as we build this trust within ourselves, it begins to shape how we show up for others.
We become more confident in being honest. In setting boundaries. In trusting others without giving away responsibility for ourselves.
But what happens when trust is broken?
When someone we love does something that makes us question them? When we make a choice we know wasn't right? Or when something we believed in turns out to be different from what we expected?
That's when we begin to understand what trust really means.
Because trust cannot always be restored through words.
It has to be rebuilt through action.
By showing that we take responsibility. That we follow through on what we say. That we're willing to make different choices from the ones that brought us here.
And this takes time.
How long does it take to rebuild trust?
There is no single answer.
We're all different. We carry different experiences, and we each need our own time to find our way back to feeling safe.
Sometimes trust returns quickly. Other times, it takes much longer.
And sometimes we have to accept that trust may never return in quite the same way.
How many times can we rebuild it?
Is there a limit?
I don't believe there's a number that can answer that.
But we can ask ourselves whether what we're doing is actually building trust.
Are we seeing change? Are we taking responsibility? Do our actions reflect our words?
And perhaps most importantly:
Are we acting from a place of love and respect, both for ourselves and for others?
Because love doesn't mean accepting everything.
Sometimes love means giving someone another chance. Other times, it means setting a clear boundary.
And both can come from a place of trust.
Trust in knowing what's right for us, and in our ability to stand by the choices we make.
I believe we can practice this throughout our lives.
Being conscious of our choices. Checking in with ourselves before we act. Being consistent in the little things, so we build the strength to meet the bigger ones.
And this is where the breath comes in.
Our breath gives us an opportunity to pause.
A small moment between what we experience and what we choose to do.
A moment to ask ourselves:
Am I acting from what I truly believe in?
Is this a choice I can stand behind?
Is this building trust, both in myself and in the people around me?
And perhaps this is where we begin building a stronger foundation.
One breath. One choice. One action at a time.
N.B. — Note to self. Breathe.
Northern Breath
N.B. also stands for nota bene, a Latin expression meaning "take special note" or "pay attention."
And for me, these two letters have come to represent something at the heart of what I want to share.
Notice how you feel. What you choose. What you do.
And how the little things you do each day shape the life you're creating.
There's something else I'd like to share with you.
You have chosen to give me some of your time and attention. Perhaps you've breathed with me. Perhaps we've met, or perhaps you only know me through the words I share here.
Either way, you've opened yourself to me and my work.
And that means a great deal.
In a world where we have so many people to follow, so many voices to listen to, and so many ways to spend our time, I don't take that for granted.
I don't simply want to reach people.
I want human connection.
I want to build something meaningful. Something rooted in compassion, honesty, and love.
I want to earn your trust through what I do, not just through what I say.
I don't know exactly where this journey will take me.
But I trust it.
And I trust that when we meet ourselves and one another with awareness, responsibility, and love, we can build something that lasts.
Thank you for being here. And thank you for your trust.
With love,
Lene
Northern Breath
