Nothing can survive without trust. Whether we like it or not, everyone has to trust in something else in order to get through the day. We trust our food is fresh and prepared cleanly. We trust that the bus driver will arrive on time or that our mechanic fixed our car so it can function. We trust that our banks will keep our money safe and we dress trusting that the weather forecast was correct. We use elevators, airplanes, and trains and go on roller coasters. We trust because it would be exhausting not to. If we walked everywhere, brought a change of clothes for every weather, grew our own food, fixed our own car and kept all of our money in a private safe, among other things, it would take up too much time and energy out of our busy lives. So we trust.
But with our family, with our friends, with our emotions, and the things that mean a lot to us. We use our time and energy to hesitate to trust these things in the hands of others, instead of day-to-day things.
After we do begin to trust, if we are able, then and only then, does trusting others with these things become like trusting elevators and the freshness of our food. Like a father who trusts a nanny with his child or a girl who trusts that her boyfriend won’t cheat on her or an engaged couple who trust that the other will never leave them, this type of trust is just as important to have a healthy and fulfilling life. This trust gives us time and energy to enjoy what we love and sleep through the night.
Everyone makes mistakes. The bus runs late, some foods can make you sick, elevators malfunction, the weather forecast is wrong, and people can let you down. But if we live our lives in fear and untrusting, there will be no time for to enjoy the things we work so hard to protect. If we guard our loved ones too much, we will suffocate them and, eventually, won’t have anyone to guard because we will drive them away. If we guard our heart too closely, we cut off its bloodline and it goes cold. We won’t have a heart to give to anyone anymore.
Trust is important in every area of life. Whether you trust in yourself or that your future works out for the best, it all starts with Faith and with Trust that it will happen. The hardest time to trust is when things have happened to us in the past that affect how we see our future. But this is ultimately the time we need to trust the most. If we don’t break the untrusting thinking we have in our lives, then the un-trust will be there forever.
Trust is the foundation of our daily lives, the foundation of a fulfilling and progressing life, and the foundation of a good and happy life. It is the best habit to have. When we allow ourselves to trust after taking precaution, we aren’t giving up anything. We are gaining a peace of mind, new relationships and joy. It is natural and smart to be concerned, cautious and protective, but if it inhibits you from moving forward in life, then you’re forgetting how you survive every day. You’re forgetting how much people trust in you. You’re forgetting what we learn from the second we are conceived: we cannot live and grow without trust.
– Marty and Caroline, Life Circles