Have you truly considered the impact that word has on your relationships??? All your relationships. Your level of trust – in the other person, in yourself, in the relationship – determines what you do and say and what you don’t. Granted, that’s an obvious statement, but do you really consider the effect and influence and significance? Do you understand how it impacts on your relationships and also defines you? I know I’ve written about trust before – in general and in some of specifics and behaviors – but I’m revisiting the word and its importance again. Partially because we all interact with people daily and our level of trust in them will determine how we interact.
You can’t lightly dismiss how trust truly determines much of your behavior and words. But it’s equally important to know your definition of the word and how it plays out in your behavior. How do you operationally define trust? Since trust is an action word, at least in terms of how it affects your behavior, do you see how it might impact on what you say and to whom? Do you appreciate those who have earned your trust? And… do you see their trust in you?
Webster defines trust as: “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc. of a person or thing; confidence”. Webster goes on to say: “trust implies a feeling of security”. Is that your operational definition? Trust, in my world of definitions, means that I can rely on (fill in the blank) rather than be uncertain of the other person’s words or acceptance. The problem comes when trust is broken. How do we handle these situations.
Obviously trust is built on something – typically your experiences. Rarely do we enter into a situation without a sense of what we know to be true, not suspect or think or heard about – know. And trust is always earned … over time. One positive experience is not a basis to trust, an inclination – yes, but it does take time and situations that provide you with the information you need in order to trust the other, at least at some level. Without a level of trust, it’s like having one foot out of the door… just in case.
