Letters from Rock Bottom — Issue 2: Earning It Back
Trust doesn’t come back with an apology. It comes back one quiet, unshakable move at a time.
Trust… doesn’t forgive easy.
When you break it, you feel it—right down the center of your life.
Friends go quiet.
Family looks at you like they can see straight through you.
And somewhere in all that… you stop trusting yourself.
Now, I used to think I could fix it all in one move.
One speech. One grand gesture.
Say the right words. Show up one time.
And just like that… everything would go back to the way it was.
That’s not how this works.
Trust isn’t rebuilt in a moment.
It’s earned back in small, steady moves—day after day—
Until the proof stacks so high, no one can ignore it.
A moment I still carry
After I got out, I told someone, “You can trust me now.”
They didn’t smile.
Didn’t hug me.
They just said, “We’ll see.”
And it stung.
Because they were right.
My history was louder than my words.
So I had to show them something different.
Not once. Not twice.
Over and over again.
Today’s lesson: Stop trying to win them back in one shot
If you chase the quick fix, you’ll lose it.
Because people… they’re watching.
Not for the speech. Not for the show.
They’re watching for the cracks in your old patterns.
So you start here:
Be early. Not just on time.
Show up without being reminded.
Tell the truth—even when it costs you.
Pay back what you owe before you spend on yourself.
Follow through quietly. No need to announce it.
A small win no one saw
Last week, someone needed a ride.
I showed up.
Drove them.
Didn’t ask for gas money.
Didn’t flake.
No parade. No speech.
But it counted.
Journal Prompts
Who’s the one person you owe steady proof to?
What’s one promise you can keep this week—no excuses?
When was the last time you followed through and kept it to yourself?
7-Day Check
Write their name down.
Seven days from now, write down what you did to prove something different.
Keep it short. Keep it honest.
If you’re still here, you’re still in the fight
They might not see the work yet.
That’s alright.
Stack your bricks anyway.
Because every day you keep a promise, the wall between you and who you were… gets lower.
Talk Back
Hit reply and tell me the one person you’re earning back this week.
If you don’t have one yet, write, “Still looking.”
If this spoke to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it—
Because trust isn’t gone.
It’s just waiting to be rebuilt.
Next issue: Letting go of the rearview—how to move forward without dragging the past behind you.