Mastering Love: A Journey Towards Authentic Connection –27: The Law of Trust

I have a lot of childhood memories, I recall an uncle whose promises were as vast as the ocean, yet as fleeting as the wind. His assurances of toys and wonders, marked by specific return dates, ignited a beacon of hope in my young heart. I would go out daily to start countdown to the arrival of the promised toys. Yet, time revealed that these promises were mirages, leaving a trail of disillusionment. This early experience with broken promises affected my understanding of trust and its fragile nature because I no longer expected people to fulfil their promises.  He became known as uncle 'Odu' among us, a testament to the fables he spun, his credibility eroded by his own actions. My father used to say that he was a pathological liar.

The fourth law of love is the law of trust, the very foundation upon which strong, enduring relationships are built. It's not granted hastily but is cultivated through consistent, honest, and transparent actions. A breach of trust is an invitation to a long walk of rebuilding a broken glassware. You know how tough that can be. In my coaching sessions, I have met too many people whose new reality was shaped by broken trusts and you could see how many are yet to fully recover from their traumatic experience.

Trust signifies a belief in the integrity and reliability of another – a conviction that they will be true to their word and actions. It underscores the importance of being trustworthy not only in the eyes of others but, critically, in our own self-assessment.

Before we extend our quest for trust towards others, we must do a self-appraisal to answer the big question- How much do we trust ourselves? This introspection invites us to evaluate our consistency, honesty, and transparency in how we live our lives. The journey to cultivating trust in relationships begins with a steadfast commitment to these virtues within ourselves.

How much do you trust yourself to keep a simple promise you made to yourself about leaving a toxic space or even reading 10 pages of a book? If you can’t keep a promise to yourself then why would you demand trust from others? It must start with us.

I am a Saviour

Praise Fowowe

Reflection Questions:

1. Reflect on an instance when your trust was broken. How did it affect your perspective on trust and your subsequent relationships?
2. Considering the importance of self-trust, how do you rate your trustworthiness in your words, thoughts, and actions?
3. What steps can you take to strengthen trust in your relationships, both with yourself and with others?