True self-trust reflects in your ability to trust others
Sometimes, you claim you trust yourself but find it difficult to feel the same about your colleagues. Believing that you are trustworthy and being perceived by others as reliable are two different things entirely.
Of course, talking about trust is always challenging. Instead of discussing trustworthiness in general, it is more efficient to point out specific behaviors that hinder progress. Some attributes that help define and build trust include boundaries, reliability, accountability, vault, integrity, non-judgment, and generosity — an acronym to remind you of this is BRAVING.
Most attributes are self-explanatory, but “vault” certainly requires further clarification. This attribute refers to the subtleties of confidentiality. While going all out and becoming vulnerable on work teams, there is a need for rules of engagement to guide people from overstepping their boundaries, like never divulging secrets to outsiders or sharing information that is not yours to share.
“We need to trust to be vulnerable, and we need to be vulnerable in order to build trust.”
Brené Brown, Ph.D.
The foundation of trust starts with the individual. That means you should trust your abilities and intentions and apply the BRAVING inventory at all times. It is a necessary step on the journey to trusting others while also having faith in yourself.
⚡️Trust is achieved in fleeting fragments of time and lost with similar volatility.
Being brave involves embracing failure as a learning opportunity. Nowadays, we raise our kids to become perfectionists and rely on what other people think. But these kids grow into adults lacking grounded confidence and independence skills.
Learning to rise has three parts: the reckoning, the rumble, and the revolution.
Reckoning involves recognizing that we are feeling something and getting curious about it. One key strategy for reckoning with emotion is box breathing. Box breathing refers to performing all breathing stages for a count of four: breathing in, holding the air, exhaling, and remaining still.
Rumble involves drafting the stories that explain the situation. Sometimes, we assume things are a conspiracy. However, we need to check the stories with reality. Revolution is taking off the armor and rumbling with vulnerability, leaning into our values, braving trust with open hearts, and learning to rise to reclaim authorship of our stories and lives. This revolution requires authenticity and courage.