BASIC TRUST ‒ The key to a life of abundance

                                  Lack of trust is nothing 
                           but the result of difficulties.
                          Difficulties have their origin
                                              in a lack of trust.

                                                                Seneca † 65 A.D.

Dear TRILOGOS friends,

The apparent paradox that is so wonderfully encapsulated in this aphorism by the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca serves quite nicely as a way to introduce these Trilogos Monthly Highlights. The aphorism is still quite timely in our day and age, seeing that each and every one of us is bound to experience the described predicament every so often in our lives.

Many of us have experienced the dilemma in our own lives, so much so that some have embarked on an arduous path to find a way out. We ask ourselves “Whom can I trust?” and “Should I even trust at all, or instead, refrain from trusting altogether, to avoid disappointment and disillusionment?"

As I consider trust to be one of most pressing issues of our time, one that we constantly wrestle with within ourselves, I would like to share my views on the topic with you in these Monthly Highlights.

I with to encourage you to dare to decide in favor of trust, as it is a path that is bound to be rewarding

To be able to trust, you first need a stable BASIC TRUST.

But, what is basic trust from a psychological point of view?

It refers to the fundamental, innate human feeling of being able to rely on something or someone, even if that feeling might not be so easily tangible. The term was coined by Erik H. Erikson, a student of Sigmund Freud, who taught at Berkeley and Harvard in the 1930s. This means that basic trust has only been grasped as a concept relatively recently.

According to Erikson, basic trust is a fundamental feeling acquired in early childhood from which the world can be encountered, or not. A person endowed with basic trust will find themselves capable of taking leaps of faith in their world, because they feel supported and well equipped to withstand negative experiences.

From a spiritual perspective, this leap of faith goes as far as directing it to a greater something, to God, Allah, nothingness, or whatever you wish to call this force or being from your personal faith.

What happens when we deliberately and consciously close ourselves off to giving trust, due to bad experiences, wounds and disappointments? Our life comes to a standstill and becomes more and more narrow, to the point where we lose our footing and lose sight of our purpose in life. We then pay a very high price.

However, when we adopt a trusting attitude again and again, we are taking physical and spiritual steps that take us further, toward the unknown, allowing us to encounter something that nourishes us and that gives us meaning.

The bounty of life can only spill over to us when we trust life.

In order for a bountiful life to evolve and expand, it needs first of all, and continually, a clear inner resolve, which is something that each individual must work out within themselves. In other words, each person must decide for themselves whether they want to trust or to distrust!

In this way, we can develop a fundamental attitude on which we can thrive and blossom.

I wish you a lot of courage to embrace BASIC TRUST as much as you can, and to do so even, or especially, when you have all the reasons in the world for being distrustful.

Trust in this force and energy that will carry you through.

Yours,  

Reinhilde Burg

PS: At this point, I would like to recommend a short video from our Interview Pearls Series featuring psychologist Prof. Germain Weber, who briefly and concisely addresses the topic of BUILDING TRUST from his scientific perspective. Prof. Dr. Germain Weber | BUILDING TRUST |Trilogos