Trust is the basis of all human relationships. Trust can be thought of as a thermometer that can measure the positive and negative nature of a relationship. The more positive one feels about a person, the higher the trust level associated with him/her.
There are many different trust levels at which we may trust others. We trust most people enough to walk around freely without expecting all the neighbors to start shooting at us. Those persons who cannot trust others at even this remote level have great difficulty functioning in the world.
However, at a more personal level, trusting your partner with your fears, dreams, and feelings is sometimes difficult. Just as when we were infants, our trust in others builds as we learn through experience that others will be accepting of us. The more we are exposed to positive trust experiences, the more trust in others will develop.
The building of a trusting attitude goes hand-in-hand with the development of positive self-esteem.
When we learn to trust others with our secrets, our fears, and our uniqueness. There is a period of time in every relationship when we peel off layers of protection in response to the growing warm feelings we share. As we shed our protective coats, we become more vulnerable to hurt or betrayal, but we also have the potential of building trusting relationships in which the partners can share deep feelings and grow as individuals.
In most relationships there are periods of pulling away and growing closer. These times may require us to readjust our protective layers or to pause in the process of shedding to make our needs for trusting less vulnerable. During these periods we learn about ourselves, particularly those areas about which we are most sensitive. Feelings of insecurity often indicate areas of our personal lives in which trust has been betrayed or about which we feel negatively. Taking the risk to trust sharing feelings about painful issues is often scary, but with big risks come big gains¡ªfor you and your partner.
When trust is absent, there are deep and hidden animosities. Respect is lost and our relationship is compromised as our energies go into manipulation and protection rather than working together towards a shared vision.
Trust is having the confidence in your judgment to trust yourself to trust your partner. Before you day "I Do," you need to ask yourself, do I trust my intended?
As adults, we learn to trust through observation, experience and self-awareness. Our partners earn our trust by exhibiting trust worthy behaviors and communications. Their behaviors are consistent with their "talk" and you have learned you can place your confidence in him/her.
It takes time to develop trust in someone, especially for people who have been hurt before. Who do you trust? What are the characteristics that support that trust? If the relationship is important to you what are the small steps you can do to restore betrayed trust?
Trust is central for a loving, honest and respectful relationship. Both you and your fianc¨¦ should trust each other to remain loyal, be honest, communicate feelings, thoughts and opinions openly and genuinely, value each other as human beings and not objects to be used and manipulated.
When you trust your partner, you will be protected. You know you won't be hurt, betrayed, or ridiculed. You can let down your guard and really be yourself with your partner, allowing a feeling of complete security to flow through the relationship. You don't need to censor or edit your conversations, or alter your behavior (as long as your words and behavior are kind and courteous). You can open your heart to the other person. And, as I mentioned earlier, this deep trust and mutual vulnerability forms the very foundation of lasting and loving relationships.
Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D.
· I started wearing eyeglasses when I was in my 5th grade and at first I find it really cool having four eyes. Almost every year I change my glass frames because I want to be in the latest trend. But now that I am a College student, I failed to do the usual thing that I do since I don’t have time to go out in malls or other places. So I tried to look for some glass frames online. 
Yesterday, we had our discussion on our sociology class and our teacher mentioned different cultures through out the world. I am really amazed on how different each culture is like the Chinese culture that has different ideas of the dragons, yin and yang and feng shuis. The different beliefs and rituals of the Africans during the circumcision of a young boy and the different ideas and beliefs of the Europeans are very interesting to know. My teacher talked about these different cultures and during that lecture I was dreaming of something I have ever dreamed of ever since I was a little kid. As my teacher talks about the culture and places of Europe, my mind wandered to the same places my teacher is talking about. When my teacher talked about the different places in Europe, I imagined that I was in Europe also. I dreamed of staying in a 
