TRUST

TRUST...5 letters...one syllable...a huge part of each of our lives.  As I began to look up the definition of this monosyllabic word, I was reminded that not only does it take on various forms within our daily realm, but it also does so within our dictionaries.  Used as a noun, trust can be defined as "firm reliance in the honesty, dependability, strength, or character of someone or something."  Defined as a verb, trust can mean "to have or place confidence in; rely".  Add an additional syllable to it with a suffix and the root word of trust now becomes an adjective used to describe an individual or other being.  And further yet, additional syllables added in the form of word endings can now allow the root word "trust" to take on the form of an adverb describing the actions we take as individuals.  Looking at it from this perspective, this 5 letter word now becomes much more complex which better reflects  the varying ways in which we illustrate to others (and others to us) our own abilities and capabilities to trust or to be trusted.After making the decision that during the month of September I would write a blog post about this concept, I began the process by just being aware of the workings of trust within my own life as well as in the lives of those around me; be it close friends and family or complete strangers on the street of whom I'd happen to catch of glimpse or hear a snippet of telling clues uttered around the role trust played in their lives. With time, I came to realize that this concept was one that played a major role in people's lives and how they allowed prior experiences with "trust" to determine their present choices and decisions.  What I also noticed was the gamut of emotions around such experiences; anger, disappointment, sadness, fear and on the opposite side of the spectrum,  joy, relief, pride, and comfort.With the intention to make several posts about trust on a weekly basis throughout the month via my Facebook and Twitter pages as well as my other social media sites (as a follow-up to the September blog post), I began to research quotes on this concept.  What I quickly found as I read through the wealth of wisdom contained in each quote was that I, too, experienced varying emotions as I read each one.  When I read Ernest Hemingway's words, "The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them," my recognition of the statement's truth left me with a weary motivation to try to trust and then hope for the best.  However, as I read on with Stephen King's quote, "The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool," my mind swiftly brought back the memories of feeling inadequate when I had been too trusting of others (at times to my own detriment).As with anything in life, there are no guarantees and certainly no "fool-proof" ways of knowing a definite outcome about situations in which we'd much rather make well-informed decisions.  I read Anton Chekhov's quote, "You must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible," and I'm reminded of a time when I was so overwhelmed by my wounded-ness that I was unable to make any decisions for fear of being led astray. Therefore, I trusted no one, including myself, and remained stuck. I found it difficult to move forward until I began to invest time and energy into getting to know my true self, inside and out, and began to think much like that implied in the words of Golda Meir, "Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement."Even still, relying solely on myself to make decisions became a difficult and lonely task. Though I did find truth in Gisele Bundcheq's quote, "The more you trust your intuition, the more empowered you become, the stronger you become, and the happier you become," I yearned for support and at that time learned to take the advice of others to a place of inner reflection where I could then discern the best way to proceed for my highest and best interest as well as for those individuals my decisions would directly impact. With time and awareness, experiences quickly showed me those who were and those were not worthy of my trust.Though this blog post was ready to be sent out several days ago, an inner nudge urged me to wait until I returned from a much needed R&R respite I'd scheduled for myself.  Events which occurred that shortened my time away are challenging me to "walk my talk" around the concept of trust in much the same way I'm encouraging anyone reading this blog post.  Trust is at the essence of every decision I have made in the past 24 hours and trust will be at the center of many decisions I will be making in the next 3 to 5 months.  I have to trust that, in the words of Louise Hay, all is well and working out for my highest good!In closing, I've learned that the process of trusting is very unique to each individual and is often based on that individual's life experiences. That said, I would encourage you to not just accept everything from everyone with a blind faith just as much as I would encourage you not to completely shut out the wisdom of those most valued in your life.  It has been my experience that an open mind paired with a receptive heart and an inner trust along with the implementation of discernment can yield amazing results.    If you are interested in reading additional quotes, I'll be posting throughout the month of September on FaceBook and Twitter.You may also visit my website, www.DonnaTemm.com for a wealth of information on my Peace of Mind Alternative Therapies practice as well as for information on my published books!  Out VERY soon is...Healing From Within in the bestselling Adventures In Manifesting series!  See my website for exclusive pre-order sales!  Once on the website, you can also subscribe to our newsletter and receive your FREE COPY of 30Days~30 Ways For Self Care!