The Importance of TRUST
Monday, July 13th, 2009Can I trust you? Can you trust me? Do you trust in yourself and your future? Stick with me for a few minutes, and allow me to explain how you can quickly and easily gain in the trust of those around… trust in yourself, as well as, become a metal detector of trust. What I mean by that is you will be able to pick out a trustworthy person and/or organization as quick as a metal detector beeps upon detecting a metal object buried comfortably below the sand on your favorite beach!
Wikipedia defines trust as, “A relationship of reliance… a prediction of reliance on an action, based on what a party knows about the other party”. Therefore, by definition, the only way that you can be trusted or give trust is thru repeated exposure or time spent with other people.
How to become a trustworthy person:
Commit to do the right thing in every area of your life, not just sometimes, but all the time. Do the right thing when people are watching, and more importantly, do the right thing when people are not watching.
How to be able to identify trustworthy people:
Very simply, trust is earned over time. People have reputations for a reason, because over time, they have demonstrated certain qualities. People with questionable reputations should be viewed thru very objective lenses looking for signs to either back up or refute any prior opinions and reputations. If people are open and easy to understand, that is a good sign. If people are a series of unanswered questions, contradictions, and difficult to understand, then beware.
How to trust yourself:
Let’s start out by saying that a lack of trust in yourself shows a lack of faith. I believe that God made each of us, and God has faith in us. Mother Angelica, the founder of Our Lady of the Angel’s Monastery shares in her book, “… constant worry, depression, anxiety, frustration, thinking ‘Nothing’s going to change’ – that is a total, total lack of trust… If you don’t have trust in your life, you have little love, because trust comes from love”.
Therefore, the best way to trust is to start loving yourself. Believe in yourself, and daily remind yourself by proclaiming your noble values, strengths, and contributions that you work to give to the world.
When people prove to be untrustworthy and difficult to understand, they are quickly disregarded. People who constantly strive to earn the trust and confidence of others, also gain the trust of themselves. The net result is a life of happiness, love, and meaning!
