First Step Marketing

By distrusting people we perhaps avoid a little loss, but the distrust that we sow in our hearts is a greater loss still. Only trustworthiness begets trust. Even when it does not, it still wins. In a materially driven world, in which a postage stamp is valued more than a word of honour because the stamp is sure, the argument is clear: ‘Of course I would like to trust people, but people are not worthy of trust.’ Although trusting others will inevitably mean that you must be ready to undergo loss, it is important not to look at the world this way.

It is not foolish to trust another, rather it is the wise person who trusts more than the foolish one. It is a greater strength to trust, for one who has less trust is weak and every day becomes weaker. One who does not trust others will find it difficult to trust even their own family and friends, and this distrust can develop to such an extent that they do not trust themselves. This is indeed sad, for the absence of self-trust is the basis of insecurity and lack of belief in one’s self.

If you saw a man drowning would you shout, ‘I would like to save you, but I do not know you well enough to trust you yet. You might pull me down with you’? The man certainly would not shout, ‘Please get someone I can trust to save me.’ He is trusting in you at that moment; a moment of complete trust that both you and he will afterwards always cherish. Trusting another is testing because there is the risk of loss. Whenever another places so much trust in us, we understandably re-evaluate the meaning of trust. When someone sincerely looks to us to be trustworthy, their very intent begins to develop trust within us, where formerly there may have been an absence of trust.

There is the argument, of course, that it is different in business. Were we simply to trust everyone we would most certainly lose everything. With every relationship, trust must first build, is the cry. It is because of this thinking that the basic role of trust must be understood.

Trust forms the foundation of every relationship, regardless of the situation or circumstance. Trust, similar to love, can be given but not necessarily received. The first person to give your trust to, therefore, is yourself. The immediate difficulty here is which you are you. When you realise the truism that your life unfolds in the way it does because ‘wherever you go, you meet yourself, then you begin to consider how you can know which of your selves is the true one.

All the great teachers have recorded that man holds false ideas about himself. Certainly it would seem that if we changed the way we thought about ourselves, we would perhaps not have the problems we think we have. The reality is that ‘knowing yourself‘ is easier said than done, so trusting yourself can be impossible. If you trusted yourself, however, there would be no need for second thoughts, which only serve to confuse issues. Perhaps if we experienced second thoughts first, many of our obstacles would diminish or disappear altogether.

As most of our problems spring from a lack of self-trust, rather than asking, ‘What can I do about this problem?’, we must learn to ask, ‘What can I do to help myself’ The key to building self-trust is to go about it in the opposite way to that in which you have been taught to deal with problems. Whenever you experience a crisis, for example, take it completely on your own shoulders. Trying to share it with others immediately, in the belief that a problem shared is a problem halved, will have an adverse effect.

In diluting the intensity of the problem by sharing it around, you also dilute your power for understanding and removing it. The habit of discussing our problems, whether regarding finances, human relationships, or what we should do in life, stems from not trusting and heeding our own instructive advice. When you trust in your inner guidance you rise above your problem and the answer always comes to you at the right time.

Whenever you have a problem, look deeply into it. Its root will require a change in you which will in turn dissolve many other difficulties. A difficult marriage is not the issue, rather it is a false understanding of life itself and what you want from it. Difficult politics at work are not the issue, rather it is how greatly you believe that control, security, status and expectations have been compromised by the people involved. Frustration occurs when one’s internal demands meet external opposition. In not getting what you want your desire turns back on itself, causing you conflict. It is a false sense of self which causes these desires, for it frantically believes that its existence depends upon their fulfilment.

The next time you allow yourself to experience the discomfort of what to you is a problematic situation, approach it differently. First of all, observe how your mind anxiously seeks for an answer, for relief and reassurance. Next, ask _yourself if you really need the kind of answer you assume you do. Then let go of the problem’s hold over you in the knowledge that you already carry the best solution within you. Finally, trust in yourself by expecting the solution at the right time to resolve the problem. In this way you will unconsciously gravitate towards the solution and recognise it as such when it comes to light.

Do not employ your memory to solve any inner problem that arises because of the manner in which you are addressing your external problem. Every moment of life is completely new and requires current insight. In the same way that you cannot make fire from stirring ashes, when you allow memorised action to leap into the space reserved for present consciousness, your creativity is blocked. Just try remaining quiet as you consider your next problem and see what happens. The answer may indeed come from a source out- side of yourself, but you will recognise it as it will con- firm what you already unconsciously know in your heart to be right.

Knowing when you have started to trust yourself will be discussed further, as it is a vital factor in developing intuitive business acumen. For now, accept the idea that trusting in the moment gives you great power. This must not be misunderstood as the fatalistic view of ‘what will be, will be’. Far from it. Think of it instead as ‘what you are, will be’. The degree to which you learn to trust yourself and your decisions is in direct proportion to the benefits you will reap at any moment. Trusting in the moment leads to the next practice.

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Trusting in the Moment

This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 2:59 am and is filed under Business Management, Career Management, Jobs, Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.