We need to build trust – now, more than ever. In a world where it seems that nothing is what it appears to be, we need to reassert the centrality of trust in human life. And while we can’t change the world overnight, we can start with ourselves right now.
A lack of trust in yourself and others is rooted in lack of self-knowledge and self-doubt. Start working on self-trust and the ripples of positivity will spread.
Here are ten practical ways you can begin to live in trust with yourself and others.
1. Invest some time and energy in really getting to know yourself. What are your strengths? What are your values? What do you struggle with and where do you need help? When you have good self-knowledge of your strengths and weakness, you can build your competence and move forward from a position of strength and self-reliance.
2. Make decisions based on what you feel and know to be true. Trust your instincts – if this feels scary, it’s okay to start small (even if it’s just with menu choices) and work your way up.
3. Build up a trust-credit with yourself. If you struggle with getting your tax or dentists visits done, make a list and keep your commitments to yourself.
4. Become known for your reliability – keep your commitments to others and be punctual. You will feel better about yourself, and you’ll build trust in yourself and with others.
5. Take back your power – when you make a decision, own it. Don’t look to others for permission or confirmation. If it feels right to you, then go for it.
6. Work on your negative self-talk. Identify the source of your self-doubt and turn it around. Build a positive self-image and keep reinforcing it by adding to your trust credit.
7. Look for and build connections with other people. Look for the things you have in common whether it’s pets, children, or places you like to go on vacation. When you establish links with people, you start to build positive relationships and trust.
8. Be kind to yourself – don’t beat yourself up or dwell on past mistakes. Acknowledge that making mistakes is important for learning and growth and that you can’t be a functioning human being without messing up sometimes. Learn and move on.
9. Reward yourself every time you make a decision and stick with it or add to your trust-credit. Make it a small tangible reward and pat yourself on the back.
10. Take a risk and trust someone else – delegate a task or confide in them. Little by little you will incrementally build your circle of trust.