There are moments in life when someone says something so simple that, at first, you almost wonder why it stayed with you.
And then, days, weeks or even months later, you realize that those few words have quietly changed the way you see yourself.
This happened to me recently during a trip to Isla de la Luna, in Bolivia.
I had the opportunity to meet a shaman who shared with me that he could give me many things.
He could share meditations.
He could recommend books.
He could teach me practices.
He could invite me to workshops.
He could offer knowledge and guidance.
But there was one thing he could not give me.
The ability to trust myself.
And then he said:
“For that, you only need two things:
Make the decision.
Take risks.”
I don't know if he realized how deeply those words would stay with me.
Because how often do we look outside ourselves for something that can only be built within?
We look for another book, another course, another mentor, another opinion, another sign that tells us we are making the right decision.
Sometimes we wait to feel confident before we act.
We wait until we are certain.
Until we know the outcome.
Until we know that we won't fail.
But perhaps self-trust doesn't work that way.
Trusting yourself doesn't mean knowing the outcome
For a long time, I thought that trusting myself meant being confident that things would work out.
Today, I see it differently.
Trusting yourself means knowing that, whatever happens, you will be able to meet it.
You may make the wrong decision.
You may change your mind.
You may fail.
You may discover that what you thought you wanted is no longer what you want.
And still, you can trust yourself.
Because self-trust is not built by always getting it right.
It is built by knowing that you will listen to yourself, make the best decision you can with what you know today, take responsibility for it, and have the courage to adjust when necessary.
Make the decision
The first step the shaman gave me was simple: Make the decision.
How many times do we remain in the space between knowing and doing?
We know we need to have the conversation.
We know we need to say no.
We know something needs to change.
We know there is something we want to begin.
But we keep waiting.
Waiting for clarity.
Waiting for the perfect moment.
Waiting for permission.
Waiting to feel ready.
Sometimes clarity doesn't come before the decision.
Sometimes clarity comes because we decided.
A decision is an act of trusting yourself.
It is saying:"I may not know exactly what will happen, but I trust myself enough to take the next step."
Take risks
The second step was: Take risks.
Not reckless risks.
Not decisions made without awareness.
But the kind of risks that require you to step outside the comfort of certainty.
Because every time we take a meaningful risk, we learn something about ourselves.
We discover that we are capable of more than we thought.
We discover that uncertainty doesn't have to paralyze us.
We discover that failure doesn't destroy us.
We discover that we can begin again.
And slowly, something changes.
We start collecting evidence that we can count on ourselves.
Decision. Action. Experience. Self-trust.
The more we do this, the stronger the relationship we have with ourselves becomes.
Perhaps this is the real journey
Since that encounter in Bolivia, I have found myself reflecting on the number of things we seek from the outside that are ultimately an invitation to come back to ourselves.
We can learn from others.
We can be inspired by others.
We can receive guidance, wisdom and support.
And I believe deeply in all of these things.
But no one can live our life for us.
No one can make our decisions for us.
No one can take the risks for us.
And no one can give us self-trust.
We build it.
One decision at a time.
One courageous step at a time.
One risk at a time.
And perhaps the greatest form of self-trust is not saying:"I know everything will be okay."
Perhaps it is being able to say: "I don't know what will happen. But I trust myself to meet whatever comes."
That is the lesson I carried with me from Isla de la Luna.
And it continues to transform the way I move through my life.
Maybe trusting yourself doesn't begin with certainty.
Maybe it begins with a decision.
And then the courage to take the risk.
Until, little by little, you become the person you know you can trust.