Trust Is Everything!

My brother once said to me important and profound words - words that I have never forgotten. He said to me: "trust is everything."

I can't recall now what we were discussing, which led him to share these words with me, but it was clearly something to do with relationships between men and women.

He told me this many years ago when were both quite young. I was probably in my late teens or early twenties, but the sagacity of his words has remained with me; they have in fact passed the test of time, because they will forever be true.

When I think about the significance of trust, I realise it is vital in any or all relationships because without it you have to question whether you have a worthwhile relationship.

That got me thinking about the work we do with our clients, with children and families and how essential that word trust is.

How often do you want to help or support a child or a parent to improve their life, but that vital ingredient or glue that holds everything together is not there - or there in sufficient quantity and as a consequence you struggle to help them in the way you want to.

In short, when there is trust you can move mountains, without trust every step is a mountain to climb.

Trust, then is invaluable and when working with others any actions that undermine the development of trust need to be discouraged. Just as actions which promote trust are to be encouraged and supported.

Identifying factors which promote trust such as doing what you say you will do, being transparent, consistent, seeking permission instead of assuming you have it, admitting where you were wrong, taking responsibility for your actions and inaction, displaying empathy and genuine care are key habits to develop when you want to establish trust.

It is such a warm, inspiring and responsible feeling when someone trusts you and when you trust others; you could say you have faith in them and them in you.

But what about yourself, do you have trust in you?

How much faith do you have in your abilities?

It is so important to have faith in your own abilities and when you are subjected to the sternest of tests, it is all the more necessary for you to believe in yourself.

When giving evidence you have to believe in what you are saying, you have to know what you are saying is correct and true because you have tried and tested it, or weighed the evidence to the point that you are sure about the veracity of your statements.

In a similar way to the way you have tested and weighed evidence you have to test and weigh your own abilities in order to develop faith in yourself.

It is only when you have done so innumerable times that you develop the kind of trust or faith that you may call confidence.