trust

The only viable kind of primary trust is trust in oneself or, rather, developing the confidence that we can engage meaningfully with what arises in our lives, for we will surely have our mishaps! From that we may be able to develop a realistic degree of secondary trust in others.

It’s not that others are necessarily devious or malicious, although some certainly are, it’s based on the recognition that all of us are fallible. Indeed life itself produces an abundance of mishaps. Even if we are fortunate enough to live a relatively pleasant life, we will suffer some losses along the way and, in the end, death, the biggest mishap of all, perhaps, will surely catch us up!

For those of us who are susceptible to low self esteem, developing trust in oneself presents a considerable challenge, although the alternative presents greater problems. I know from bitter experience, if one has put too much trust in another and they let one down or, even worse, betray one, then one’s self esteem sinks lower still.

Although, faced with many difficulties, so very much still a work in progress, I am trying to build the appropriate confidence to engage with mishaps as they arise and, as with friendship, appreciate, rather than depend on, the goodwill of others when I am fortunate enough to encounter it.