Life Lessons 101 - Trust

I firmly believe every day is an opportunity to learn something, teach something and to grow on a personal level.

Today I was taught a valuable lesson, a lesson in trust.  I admit this is a tough one for me.  My trust has been betrayed in the past and because of this I can be a little cynical about it.  I doubt myself when trust is questioned, whether it be the trust I place in others or the trust they place in me.  I like to think I'm pretty trustworthy, but I know I'm not perfect, no one is and we all have the capacity to betray each other.  The scale to which we do is a whole other matter.

In today's lesson I learned that when I think too much about not being able to trust I find ways to prove I can't trust.  When I take a deep breath and look at it from a different angle, I realise I'm my own worse enemy.  Actually we all are.  We try too hard to find fault in others because of our own fragile egos, assuming someone is untrustworthy somehow elevates our own trustworthy status. It feeds the ego which is always starving.  Today I also learned to let my ego starve, to have faith and just trust.

With this lesson I realise I can literally create any reality I choose.  Whether it's right or wrong doesn't matter if I believe it.  People are untrustworthy only if they prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are, otherwise they deserve to be trusted.  They deserve the opportunity to trust you back. To not doubt or be doubted.

So why do we doubt?  Because of past lessons.  Because at some point in our existence trust has been broken, betrayed and someone has taught us not to give trust freely.  If I give you my trust I expect yours in return.  If I give you a reason not to trust me do I have the right to no longer trust you? Does that work both ways?  Can trust be regained? My belief? No, not completely. Once the damage is done the scar that remains is a constant reminder.  You're better off not causing the scar in the first place, just be as trusting as you expect from others.  Simple as that.

That's, how I see it.
Tammy.
 

“Loving someone is giving them the power to break your heart, but trusting them not to.”
― Julianne Moore