I find it ironic that a year after I wrote a couple of blogs on trust, I’m listening to a podcast this morning I randomly picked whose topic ends up being that of ‘trust’.  As I listened to what was being said on trust, I realized how superficial or high level my previous blogs on trust were. Can I trust you Part 1and Can I trust you Part 2 didn’t begin to scratch the surface of trust and what it takes to trust.

I’ve been listening to Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Conversations podcast and I have learned a lot from the various speakers.  This morning though hit me hard.  Trust is always something that comes up for me and today I received another lesson and reminder.  Nothing happens randomly so I listen and am grateful for the messages being given.

Dr. Brené Brown speaks on the Anatomy of Trust and breaks down the fundamentals of trust.  The definition of trust.  She uses the acronym BRAVING to break down how trust works.  I encourage you to listen to the podcast because I believe we can all relate to some part of what we hear.  She quotes Charles Feldman’s definition of trust: “Trust is choosing to make something important to you vulnerable to the actions of someone else”.  She also shares his definition of mistrust: “What I have shared with you that is important to me, is not safe with you”.  Incredibly powerful definitions.

Give some thought to these two statements and how they make you feel.

Here is the PDF that breaks down the acronym BRAVING.

I hope you get as much from listening to this podcast as I did.  Listen to it a few times if you can.  I can almost guarantee that it will change your views and the depth to which you believe you can trust and how you trust moving forward.

I will end this blog with the same quote from Maya Angelou: “I don’t trust people who don’t love themselves and tell me, ‘I love you.’ … There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.”