Vulnerability: What's Trust Got To Do With It?

Today I'm excited because Free Spirit has released its top blog posts for 2017 and two of mine are on this list; I'm so grateful to be a guest author for them.

I've been fighting a chest cold, which has given me a lot of time for reflection. During my couch coma and more Hallmark movies than I ever thought possible, one thing I kept thinking about is trust.

Maybe it's because my one little word for 2018 is vulnerable.

Vulnerability.

It makes me a little nervous, to dig deeper into the concept

behind that word and its connection to the word trust.

Trusting can be unnerving.

And yet we're called to trust all the time. 

The other day, for example, when I needed my bangs trimmed.

My regular stylist is on recovery from knee surgery,

so I phoned my former stylist,

who scheduled me with her new coworker.

I sat there in her chair so vulnerable

as she took her scissors to my hair.

Trust.

There was nothing else I could do, but trust.

She seemed to understand what I wanted, 

but I was a nervous wreck,

holding my breath as locks of hair fell from my forehead.

It can be so hard to trust.

And that's just a small thing, like bangs.

What about when the stakes are bigger,

like in a relationship.

At home.

At work.

With students, neighbors, friends.

With strangers, even.

It begs the question:

Does trust always have to be earned

or is it possible to take a leap of faith

and just trust?

Dr. Brené Brown says this about trust and vulnerability:

Trust is a product of vulnerability that grows over time

 and requires work, attention and full engagement.

Trust.

It takes work.

It needs attention.

And it requires full engagement.

It's so important.

And really worthwhile.

I'm told there's a certain strength in vulnerability.

So here we go, head first into 2018.

I'm ready and eager to learn more about being vulnerable.

I can't wait to see what happens to my willingness to trust.

What's your one word for the upcoming year?