There’s a difference between trusting someone and counting on them. It’s a fine line, but the distinction matters.

When you count on someone, you hope they’ll show up and keep their promise. It’s transactional—will they deliver this time? Each time they do, it adds another layer toward something deeper. Trust is that deeper thing.

Trust isn’t about hoping someone comes through. It’s knowing they have your back, that integrity guides them even when no one’s watching. You know their compass points true. Ethics and justice aren’t performance—they’re at the center of who they are.

Trust is a feeling rooted in shared values and beliefs. Just because someone delivers on every promise doesn’t mean you trust them—it means they’re reliable. We all know people who fumble the details, yet we trust them completely because we know what they stand for.

Consider a colleague who usually meets deadlines. You count on them absolutely. But when the project goes sideways, they point fingers to protect themselves. They don’t hold themselves accountable. Trustworthy? That’s another question.

Here’s what matters: we’re no longer settling for one or the other. We’re striving to be both—to be people who can be trusted and counted on, and to build our lives with people who embody both.

We know the difference. It’s what we’re aiming for and what we expect from others. We show up with integrity intact, and we keep our word. We seek the same in return.

That’s the standard we set and work on to maintain.

Thanks – Michael (he, him)

Please share this Daily with your tribe.
This also matters – The Question of Trust.

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