“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.”
~ George MacDonald
Yesterday, I had a chance to spend some time with an old friend. Life has taken us separate ways, and it’s been quite a while since we’ve had a chance to “catch up”, so to speak. To just chill. To let my hair down.
Our day together provided opportunity again to contemplate upon my authentic self that shows up (or doesn’t show up). My friend is someone whom I trust implicitly.
I have been deceived, both intentionally and unintentionally, by many many people over the years. In the end, it’s hard not to have become jaded to some extent.
And here-in, I believe, lies the problem with revealing the authentic self.
Once you’ve become jaded, it can be exceptionally difficult to move back into a place of extending trust (love) to all people, truly just putting your open-heartedness out on the line again.
Issac Watts is quoted as saying: “Learning to trust is one of life’s most difficult tasks.”
Or take Eric Hoffer’s thought on the matter: “Someone who thinks the world is always cheating him is right. He is missing that wonderful feeling of trust in someone or something.”
“The toughest thing about the power of trust is that it’s very difficult to build and very easy to destroy.” says Thomas Watson.
But in the end, I believe Frank Crane says it best: “You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don’t trust enough.”
I’ve been working with heart opening practices though yoga for 5+ years now. I’ve come a long way. Yet, I still have quite a ways to go.
You can’t count on anyone to bring you happiness. And I think the same goes for trust. Someone may show themselves to be trustworthy (which takes time!). But even if they are trustworthy, trust is something that only I can show in return.
Conquering trust and fear issues are absolutely critical to the authentic self showing up.
And yes … “Few delights can equal the presence of one whom we trust utterly.”
