Often I have heard people say "You can't trust yourself not to talk of others" - and I wonder what kind of life we live if trust is thrust into the earth's crust and we are left without it. It is one of those things that if broken may not get fixed.

In one of my writings, I established the "THIS formula" (Trust, Honesty, Integrity, and Sincerity) which can help to improve relationships. This could be at work, family, school, and anywhere. The question is do we trust our leaders to ensure the masses are a priority in decision-making? does a boss trust his employees and vice versa? do you trust your children or relatives? do you trust your religious leaders? do you trust your friends or yourself?

Trust is not established by mere words of mouth, it can only serve as a reinforcement if someone asks "Can I trust you?" - meaning they already have reasons to do so and only need affirmation. Some won't be vocal about it and others may say it directly like "Hey, I trust you". Some have forgotten the word in their trash.

Most time, we misunderstand how trust should be perceived and after all, we are humans, seeking progress and not perfection in our lives. There are only a very few in our lives that you can satisfactorily trust to a large ground, but for most other people, it'll be in part because we have weaknesses and strengths and varied degrees of handling them. Some people like myself, you can't trust us with fraying plantain or making food without eating from it before being served.

For instance, there are people we can "never" trust with any of finances, women, secrets, keeping items, promises, sharing opportunities, giving advice, etc. This is not because we don't want to, but because they have proven times without a number that they can't be relied upon on such or related matters. The same people may have been instrumental in other ways like having our back always, getting assignments done, showing up for us, being prompt with returning debts, keeping to time, etc. This implies while we can trust someone on some things we can't with others. All we need to identify where people fit and place them there as appropriate.

However, this may not be as easy as it seems as we may only be able to figure it out with close friends and associates or those we've had a couple of encounters together. Trust brings comfort, ease, and assurance that even in our absence, there should be no cause for alarm.


Idowu I. Balogun
IndigenousGenius