What Does it Mean to Trust?

And who exactly are we meant to trust?

Trust. Now there is a BIG word. We all want to be with people we can trust. Trusting someone means believing in their dependability, honesty and pure intentions. I find it interesting that when we talk about trust, we usually speak in terms of trust in another. Even the dictionary defines trust as something we place on or in other people.

For example, the Merriam-Webster dictionary says trust is:

1.     The assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something.

2.     One in which confidence is placed

A more interesting definition I found is this:

‘Trust is the belief that another person will do what is expected.’ (Tell me how well that works out!)

I think we’ve got this all wrong. For me the only trust worth a damn is the trust I place in myself because it’s unreasonable and almost impossible to know - really know - what is going on in someone else’s mind, heart and soul. Heck, half the time we don’t know what’s going on in our own, so to have an expectation that someone will behave in a certain way that is acceptable to us and affirms that trust is rather ludicrous. Especially if it’s you yourself that ends up doing something completely unexpected that may cause a lack of trust.

It has taken me a very long time to trust myself. Once I understood that trust was my responsibility, everything changed. It has been a gradual process of finding that place in me that allows me to surrender to what is without the eternal mind chatter of doubt and reasoning. Your mind can make something sound reasonable or it can confuse you, but you cannot fool your body.

The body is a wise vessel that is constantly communicating with us if only we could quiet the mind long enough to hear its message. Trusting yourself does not come with a list of expectations or rules. Contrary to what I thought, trust does not indicate predictability. If you are open and willing to embrace all the experiences Life is gifting you with you cannot help but change course occasionally, sometimes in midstream. Life is not static, and neither are we.

I have come to realise and understand the power and wisdom of my body to guide me in Life. It’s when I sense the stillness within that I know what I can trust. It doesn’t mean I know what is going to unfold nor how things will look; it means that I can trust the direction that is beckoning me. It might look peculiar or downright crazy to the observer, and that’s all okay. I trust myself enough to surrender to my inner knowing. Truth be told, it can be unnerving at times, but anything worth your while is bound to stretch your boundaries. That’s the whole point, isn’t it?

I would even go so far as to say that when we put our trust in God, the Universe, Source Consciousness, that it is the portal to our own inner knowing. It is the path that leads us to trust what we are feeling within, absent any arguments, logical or otherwise.

These days I put much more faith in my body’s signals than my mind’s repetitive thought patterns. I’ve heard it all before and you probably have too – ad nauseum. The body has an intelligence all its own that is aligned with your soul’s journey. That alignment feels like pure blissful calm and quietude. It is a peace that radiates up from your solar plexus up through your heart and throat, right into your mind that is stunned into silence, for there is nothing more to be said. The decision has been made and you are in full trust that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

Trusting yourself means that you don’t have to fear what another person might do or say. It doesn’t mean you won’t get hurt – although I believe that when we develop 100% trust in ourselves, that ceases to be a problem. People are unpredictable, as we all are, but when you develop that keen sense of trusting your own body’s signals, you will know who or what serves your highest good in any moment. By ‘highest good’ I’m not suggesting that it’s all sunshine and roses; sometimes it’s tough and that’s when it’s important to keep that channel open, to tune into the subtle signals of your body. Give yourself time, grant yourself patience and see what happens.

There is an element of surrender when it comes to developing a discerning sense of trust. It’s akin to having faith in something you cannot quite see, yet you know the truth of it in the depths of your being. When you trust, you surrender to Life unfolding – however that might look. No one can show you the way nor can you follow another’s path. Let your body show you the way to formulate trust, surrender, and faith - perhaps the three biggest words in embracing what Life has to teach us.