Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Trust!

 

Artwork by Erin Carver

The word from my heart pocket is Trust.

What a concept. Trust. It's hard for a lot of us. We hear that we're supposed to trust and we do it much of the time. We trust we'll get to the office safely. We trust we'll wake up in the morning. We rely on trust in so many unspoken ways.

Yet, it bothers us. We speak of it in daily conversation. We don't use its name but we express so many insecurities because the world is uncertain and we feel vulnerable. We want assurance in the form of guarantees and affirmations and vows and warranties and oaths and promises. We want to be sure. So we can trust.

Hmmm....

I like the idea of giving something to safekeeping. It frees us to do the job in front of us. For example, when my children were little, they trusted I would always be available to them, that I would care for them. They learned about trust from me; I was a constant and I was reliable. And most of all, I trusted them. Each of us did our jobs - being a child, being a mom. Trust is a two-way street. It involves giving up and giving back. It is reciprocal. It might not begin that way, but true Trust surfaces when we trust in Trust. 

When I'm full of Trust, I focus on my business. I pay attention without worry or stress. I'm healthier and I have good experiences which builds trust in my judgment. Trust is linked to faith and hope because they inspire the act of Trust. Trust is belief. We learn to trust based on what we've experienced. We experience what we believe. It's good to examine our belief systems to find where our Trust lives. Working forward from that place can be enlightening when we equate our belief system with what happens in our lives. This is different for each of us and we get confused when we begin to compare our experiences and belief systems with those of others. If we can compare and not judge, we will learn. 

When I have experienced something awful, it is hard to make my way back to Trust. I have wanted to run. I have wanted to hit back. Those are insecure choices. I've surely felt insecure in that way. What I have learned during those times from those people who were most trusting was that to trust is to be secure. 

Trust is grounding. Trust is confident. Trust begets Trust.