More peace.
Room to rest without filling every quiet moment.
The story behind Trust · Christian W.
Twenty minutes of rest.
A different way to experience life.
In 2022, I was in Seoul, South Korea, living at a hectic pace. Sometimes I would arrive in a country, stay for just 12 hours, and move on. My mind kept asking: what else can I do to make the most of this?
I was having experiences, but rushing through them. It was overwhelming, and I was enjoying them less than I had hoped.
Then, beside a lake, I found seats with 20-minute hourglasses. The invitation was simple: sit, rest and be present until the sand ran through. A defined amount of time made it feel possible to stop.
“Sitting there for 20 minutes turned out to be one of the greatest returns on my time I could have had.”
I took the photograph because the moment stayed with me. After that, I travelled with an hourglass.
From twenty minutes to Trust
But my mind still found reasons to resist. “I don't have 20 minutes.” “I want to do something!” I knew a pause would help, especially when I was running in circles. So I looked for a duration short enough that I could no longer argue against it. For me, that was three minutes.
I began travelling with a small three-minute hourglass. I did not always have it with me, though. And even when I did, my phone was there, tempting me to check something.
Over months, I simplified my phone again and again. I removed distractions until being present became the most appealing option. Still, I sometimes caught myself checking messages or finding a way around the limits I had set.
That led to a different question: what if my phone could actively help me be present? What if it supported the choices I wanted to make, including the choice to pause?
This became Trust: an app designed to make my phone a useful tool again. I want to keep the benefits of technology while strengthening trust in myself, my decisions and the life around me.
Christian W. Schnepf · Founder of Good Time
