Trust is an interesting thing. As I was looking for inspiration when I wanted to write about this topic, so much of what I was able to find was about the negative connotations of trust. How we can’t trust anyone in life other than ourselves, that trust is impossible to build and can be broken in an instant, never to be the same again. Trust is such a powerful thing and yet is seemingly so fragile.

What got me thinking about this topic was an Ira Glass comment in an episode of a This American Life podcast. He mentioned that he always feels like he’s one bad moment away from ruining relationships with everyone he knows. His co-host asked if he thought that about even his wife, and he said that yes, deep down he feels like if he says the wrong thing one time that everything could potentially fall apart.

It hit home with me. I realized I felt the same way for some reason. I’ve always held back things from people because I felt like I couldn’t trust them with it. It runs from simple things like tasks at work to deeper things like hiding the way I feel about something because I don’t want to upset another person or worry about how it could change how they looked at me. That all it would take would be one wrong thing to undo everything I had with someone.

It’s odd, because I know the things I keep to myself I wouldn’t care if another person shared with me. I’m learning we’re all humans in that way, and that people are a whole lot more receptive than I’ve given them credit for. Like all things, there’s a balance between being naïve and trusting indiscriminately and being closed off and quietly becoming bitter and cynical about people. Somewhere in-between is a middle ground; where you open up to and trust the right people, the people that matter, and you get a richer, fuller relationship as a reward. One that is based on who you are instead of a fabricated version of yourself you want everyone to see. You just need to be confident, take a chance and trust in them.