How the Definition of Trust Evolves
The definition of trust conjures up different feelings for different people. According to the dictionary, trust means confidence in a person or thing. Where do your thoughts go when you think of trust? Does it rest on a person (you or another person) or a thing (faith, God, Life)?
A Child’s Definition of Trust
How does a baby begin to know and trust that she or he will be fed, cleaned, or clothed? They expect a reaction to happen and it does so in most cases. As the parent you instinctively know you will take care of your child but how does the child know you will take care of their needs? When do they begin to trust?
Likewise, when you were a small child you knew that the daily meals would come and that mom and dad would take care of it all. You didn’t care how; you just knew it would be done. You felt confident about certain things and that is about your personal definition of trust.
As a child and learning to walk you fell and got back up, continuously until you got it. Next, you were running, and jumping, skipping and climbing with trust that it would always work out. Moreover, even if you fell or scraped your knee, it may have hurt at the time, but it didn’t stop you from getting back out there.
Adolescence’s Definition of Trust
As you got older and the responsibility to care for yourself started to shift, the trust in your own abilities either continued and you felt confident that you would be okay, or it didn’t. In many cases, as adults we somehow lose our trust in self, and doubt fear and stress begins to set in.
It could have something to do with how you were raised and how you saw your parents get through day to day life. You tend to mimic those around you. If your parents had a strong faith that things would always work out for the best that would have a big impact on you and your confidence and trust.
However, if you grow up hearing complaints about how life is rough and constantly witnessed your parents struggling, that too can rub off and influence your own definition of trust.
Your Instincts and the Definition of Trust
As a child you trusted life and that it would be okay. Your instincts were keen and you trusted that they would guide you and protect you even if you didn’t really understand it then.
As you got older and started to experience life more on your own terms, you might have forgotten that the instincts are still present even though you pushed them to the back of your mind.
As a child, you were more aware of your higher self and as an adult you tend to forget that. As a child you knew that you came to this world preapproved to succeed. As an adult, responsibilities and life gets in the way and you forget to trust in self. Your definition of trust seems to shift, especially in yourself.
Nevertheless, (God, your higher self, the universe) which ever feels right to you, relies on you to make your destiny in this world come true whether good or bad. Your trusted inner voice serves you everyday even when you don’t think so.
When did Your Definition of Trust Change?
If you take a moment to still your mind enough to remember when your definition of trust changed, you will see it was when you started to doubt your own abilities. Often it is when we are very young that this occurs and it begins to grow and carry over into our adult life.
It could have been when your mother told you that you were too naive about the world or when other trusted adults led you to believe you weren’t good enough. Additionally, it could have been negative remarks from a certain group of people with whom you belonged.
A thrust into such a reality as a child or young adult will have a lasting influence on you as an adult. The more that those around you projected their own self-doubt; the more it rubs off on you. As a result, your own confidence in yourself and your abilities began to dwindle.
Nevertheless, as a rational thinking adult, you can decide how you will trust yourself and the world around you. The repetitiveness of hearing or seeing things that made you doubt or not trust can be undone with positive affirmations and reinvigorating your definition of trust. Life is what you make of it. Say that again and think about it. Life is what you make it.
Affirmations are repetitive messages that you say to affirm your goodness and value in the world. These small words are packed with the ability to help you recapture, once again, your definition of trust about yourself. It has always been there, it just got pushed into the back of your mind as life’s distractions and responsibilities got in the way.
Redefining your Definition of Trust
Trusting that you are a good and deserving person no matter what, should be the first order of practice every day. It doesn’t matter your gender, race or sexual preference. You have a divine right to be loved and to be happy no matter what. Reclaim that power of belief in yourself and echo that in confident thoughts and you will see good changes happen almost immediately. Your definition of trust may have changed through the years, but the power contained in “self trust” never changes.
