This is the time of year that most believe in miracles and believe in love. This is also the time of year that sadly, most don’t. They don’t believe in reason for the season. They don’t believe that we all have a purpose and they don’t believe in others either.

Recently I saw an Instagram story from an athlete that basically said, “Don’t trust nobody!” And I thought to myself, how sad is that? But if this athlete is going to preach about God, does that mean he doesn’t trust God, his wife, his teammates, his kids?
Sometimes God is disguised as people on Earth and he speaks through people. If you’re telling others not to trust anybody that that means that you don’t trust God either.

Usually people who have had a traumatic past experience are the ones who stop trusting other people. Trust issues can be associated with depression, anxiety, fear of abandonment and attachment issues. They can stem from abuse, social rejection or just having low self-esteem. People with low self-esteem are less likely to trust others. Which is ironic that this particular athlete always preaches about believing in yourself. Sometimes, though on social media people post things subconsciously to try and pick themselves up and not others. Even though their posts inspire other people the point of the post was to help make themselves believe what they are putting out there and were never intended to inspire others.

Some people have unrealistic expectations. The higher the expectations the more likely it is they won’t be met. Trust usually isn’t something people openly talk about or address in relationships until it’s been broken, and by then it’s often too late to salvage the relationship or the breach of trust seems too big to overcome. Trust is the foundation for your relationship and the key to love. When you trust your partner, then you feel secure that they won’t leave in difficult times. Trust and love go together as does loyalty. Without trust there is no love, and without loyalty there is no trust. Because love and trust so often go together, navigating relationships with people that we still love but no longer trust can be very difficult.

I don’t want to live with a bitter heart or a closed heart. I want to live with an open heart. And yes, will I get hurt? Sure. But that risk is worth it because love is worth it. All kinds of love require trust which is a quality found in people and not necessarily in relationships. People you can trust have integrity and do what they say they will do. A trustworthy person does not lie, manipulate, or deceive and this makes love possible.

I believe that you can fall for anyone, even without knowing them completely. You should first spend some time knowing the person, understanding them and deciding whether you can trust that person or not. Listen to your heart because your heart will never lie to you while your mind will play games. Trust to me is knowing I am totally responsible for and can be counted on me at all times. If I am trustworthy, I will trust others. Trust is the foundation of loving another human being.

How do you know when someone really loves you?

If you find they want to spend almost every minute of free time with you. If they always compliment you, no matter what. They care about the little things that make your day better. When somebody truly cares about somebody else, love evolves into something physical and mental that needs to be shared with the one person who takes up nearly all their thoughts and time.

As humans we are programmed to need relationships; they’re essential for our survival emotionally and physically. Relationships keep us grounded which in turn helps us stay sane in this chaotic world. But not all of us are lucky enough to find someone who loves us unconditionally. Some people don’t even know what love truly means. Love is not the materialistic things, as some would think, it’s the moments we share with that particular person that makes us feel together and whole. You value their personality and want their friendship. Love does make us do crazy things at time, but it’s that deep affection and admiration that we feel towards another person that makes us know that we found our “soulmate” There is a warmth in your heart, an inner peace you can feel. No words need to be spoken. It is not just unconditional love, but unconditional acceptance.

So as we march on in this Christmas season, remember this, loving someone, is about giving them the space to be themselves. If you are perfectly happy with their flaws and love them for who they are, then you have found a soulmate. Soulmates actually come into our lives to challenge us and help us grow in a way that serves us and moves us forward. We can often miss out on the opportunities to be challenged by someone else the universe has sent because that person wasn’t sent to us as we hoped or the way we thought they would be sent to us.

Again, love, trust, loyalty. Without one, we don’t have the other. The three in this day in age are rare. And if you are lucky enough to find all three, count your blessings.