It seems ludicrous that we as humans allow a five letter word to precipitate so many feelings. Regardless, being in touch with our feelings is an essential part of life, and one feeling that is seemingly difficult for us to perfect is trust.
trust /n/: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety of a person or thing; confidence
In any aspect of life, trust plays a very important role in being successful. Whether it is trust in a relationship, a business partnership, or simply knowing that you have the ability within yourself to achieve a goal, life cannot prosper if trust is not present.
The act of trust is both emotional and logical; It generates feelings of love and comfort and causes us to make calculations and predict possible outcomes of our future.
The most common situation wherein trust is hard to acquire is relationships.
Dating is hard and, no matter how perfect things may be, there is always a smidge of doubt in one or even both partners in a relationship. The thought of opening up to someone new and allowing them to dictate your thoughts and feelings can be scary. If trust is absent, a successful relationship is impossible and, not to mention, unhealthy.
Relationships require us to expose our vulnerabilities and have faith that our openness will not be taken advantage of. We give our all to someone with the possibility of being used, deceived, and hurt. We are on a constant search for the key components of trust in a relationship: Reliability, Honesty, Loyalty, and Transparency. Without the presence of all of these components, having complete trust in someone is unattainable.
Reliability
Always follow through with commitments/arrangements. If you can't keep a promise, don't make it in the first place.
Honesty
Lying to protect the feelings of another has no benefit in a relationship. Regardless of how pleasant (or not) the truth is, it is better to be upfront and lay everything out on the table.
Loyalty
You made a commitment; stick to it.
Transparency
Don't be vague or untrue to yourself. Showing your true colors proves that you have nothing to hide.
Trust is the heart of a strong relationship. Without it, two can never feel safe and secure with each other. It is fragile and, once broken, it can be impossible to rebuild.
Other than in romantic relationships, trust is crucial in friendships as well and the same qualities are needed. We look to our friends to share our problems with and rely on them to be there for us. It's all about value exchange; you give what you expect to receive in return and anticipate that the friendship will be mutually beneficial, even if reciprocity is delayed.
It is hard to find trust in others, though, if we have no confidence in ourselves. The most important person that you need to trust is yourself.
Set goals and actually follow through with them. If you can't keep a promise that you made to yourself, how can you keep the promises that you make to others?
Present your true character at all times. If you can't be honest about who are you, you can't expect others to be authentic towards you.
Wear your heart on your sleeve, at least a little. It's okay to be vulnerable. It shows you are human. Being hurt in the past does not imply that you will be hurt again in the future.
If you cannot trust yourself first, you cannot trust anything. The relationship you have with yourself will ultimately set the tone for every other relationship in your life.
Stay true to yourself and others, always.
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." - William Shakespeare
