Thoughtful Thursday // Earning Trust

It's funny that this question came up as I'm reading a book about trusting. Good timing! Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose, but earning someone's trust is a precious thing.

"How do people earn your trust?"

Some people are very trusting and others tend to hold back, depending on their life experiences. I tend to like to think and assume the best of people but that doesn't mean I necessarily trust them.

It might sound simple but for me, people can earn my trust by having their actions back up their words. I tend not to listen to words. Too many people have said things and not followed through. It's not that I think they're doing it on purpose, but my lived experience says that words aren't very reliable. So I need to see actions for me to really trust you.

Along a similar line, I tend to decide that someone is trustworthy by observing how they treat others. Are they kind, respectful, and honoring of other people in their interactions? What tone of voice do they use? Are they always checking their phone or retreating to their phone? To put it into a word, how gentle are they with others?

I'll be honest and say that there have been people in my life I trusted and thought I knew who turned out to be someone completely different. It's hurt me and shocked me and made trusting that much harder. But I'm working on it :)

Now it's your turn! How do people earn your trust?