Trust Me

President of Accolade Communications Dominique O’Rourke once wrote, “Trust can be considered a state of mind or an expectation, a behavior or decision, a process, a mechanism to coordinate expectations or interactions or a moral obligation.”

Trust is something we build on and something we give out, often too loosely. It begins the moment we leave the womb, entering the arms of perfect strangers we automatically and confidently trust. Eventually those same loving strangers, we call mom or dad, drop us off for the first day of school, lunch box in tow, trusting a staff of smiling people to keep us safe and teach us arithmetic. Every day we climb out of bed trusting the floor is beneath our feet and civilization didn’t end while we were at rest.

We pull out and sit down in chairs we trust won’t crumble beneath us. We trust the moon won’t suddenly, violently crash into our beautiful planet we trust is round. We trust traffic signals and simply go when some green light indicates it is safe to do so. Have you ever seen a proud father toss his baby high into the air? – that’s trust.

Throughout our day we indulge in trust, often times without even realizing it. As I write this note I am trusting my fingers to work and the letters on my keyboard to all be in their respective places. If you are reading this, which I trust you are, you are trusting your brain will recognize each black word I’ve printed on bright white paper (and I’m hoping your brain hasn’t let you down). If you are enjoying this in your doctor’s office, I’m sure you are awaiting some appointment of which trust will be critical.

We trust inherently – often cautiously – hundreds of times each day but ask someone about trust and many will deny it. Why? Do we not trust the sun will set this evening or a glowing orange stove-top is hot? Of course, we do because these things are consistent – certain. But let your car not start several mornings in a row and eventually you will stop trusting its dependability. Find out a co-worker has taken something of yours off of your desk and you will begin to question the security of your entire workplace. Learn a loved one has lied to you, betrayed you, and that is when you will find the answers to why people stop trusting altogether.

Compared to broken pieces of porcelain, many swear by trust’s inability to ever be repaired. Hell, I’ve been there. I know what deceased trust looks and even smells like. It’s rotten. Its corpse terrorizes your mind and its absence is painful. I get it. I have trusted people who have selfishly – perhaps maliciously – let me down. I know you have too and here is why I go on this rant – to encourage you to keep trusting.

It is going to be hard – extremely difficult. It is going to feel defeating and impossible. Don’t give up! Dig your claws into whatever strength and faith you have and keep trusting. When someone robs you of trust they are robbing you of joy – of spirit. Don’t allow it. Continue to trust ocean waves and the night sky and most importantly continue trusting in your own strengths and ability to overcome whatever (or whoever) let you down! You’ve got this – trust me.

Written by Kelli Fuqua Hart for OM