Last week, I bought something on Facebook Marketplace. But unlike previous purchases that I picked up in person, this one had to be shipped from Dallas—which meant I had to pay a stranger and hope they were trustworthy enough and would actually send what I bought. I labored over this purchase for a few days until I finally Venmoed the seller $75. That’s when the true angst began. Had I been duped? For a few hours, I simply didn’t know. And then it happened—she sent a picture of the shipping receipt and the box that was being sent with a note: “Thank you for your purchase. I hope that I can continue to serve you in the future!” Aww. My faith in humanity was restored.

Trust is such an important part of life. We need trust in our relationships at home, but also at work. Mistrust gives us a bit of paranoia, right? Have you ever mistrusted someone? And if we can’t trust others, like at work, we often take on too much and run the risk of exhaustion.

But what I realized over the weekend was that the cycle of trust begins with one act of faith. It takes a conscious act of unconditional belief in that other person that he or she will act with good sense and honesty. By Venmoing this total stranger in Dallas, I started with one act of faith. Think about your life; who aren’t you trusting? Is it a colleague or a family member? Trust is a two-way street. It begins with faith. Will you be the first one to make a move? I hope so.

With Gratitude,

Beth