One of the Write Your Heart Out #WYHO prompts on Write Tribe is this quote: “Trust, like the soul, never returns once it is gone.” ~ Publilius Syrus
I’ve been thinking about and examining the whole issue of trust over the last month. I’ve shared before that my default behaviour used to be to trust people and to go out of my way to help them – either materially or emotionally. However, I’ve been taken for granted and taken for a ride far too many times for me to allow that to happen again. I can honestly say that I’ve become much more cynical and wary of people’s motives these days. More often than not, people live up to my expectations (or lack of them) these days.
For someone like me, this is not a happy state to be in. I’ve begun to wonder if I’ve attracted these kind of people into my life in the past. And now, despite the fact that I’m wary of them and don’t fall for their charms, I’m still attracting them, anyway?
My internal jury is still out on this.
What We Attract Into Our Lives
Leafing through ‘Excuses Begone‘ written by the late Dr Wayne Dyer, I found the following that might help me resolve the trust dilemma.
One of the most important decisions you’ll ever make is choosing the kind of universe you exist in: is it helpful and supportive or hostile and unsupportive? Your answer to this question will make all the difference in terms of how you live your life and what kind of Divine assistance you attract.
Remember that you get what you think about, whether you want it or not. So if you’re sure that this is an unfriendly universe, you’ll look for examples to support this point of view. You’ll anticipate people attempting to cheat, judge, take advantage of, and otherwise harm you. You’ll blame the antagonistic, inhospitable cosmos for not cooperating with you in the fulfillment of your desires. You’ll point the finger at belligerent folks and bad luck for the kind of world we all live in. Since this worldview trickles down into every thought you have, you become a person persistently looking for occasions to be offended, and therefore in possession of a whole slew of excuses.
I implore you to see the universe as a warm and supportive one. . . because you’ll look for evidence to support this view. When you believe that the universe is friendly, you see friendly people. You look for circumstances to work in your favor. You expect good fortune flowing into your life. In other words, you aren’t looking for excuses!
My favorite affirmation when I feel stuck or out of sorts is: Whatever I need is already here, and it is all for my highest good. Jot this down and post it conspicuously throughout your home, on the dashboard of your car, at your office, on your microwave oven, and even in front of your toilet! Remind yourself: I live in a friendly universe that will support any thing or desire that is aligned with the universal Source of all. Such a stance will be a giant step toward living an excuse-free life.
Affirming that what you want is already here and all you have to do is connect to it causes you to remember that what you attract is for your highest good, so you can then let go of the timing issue altogether. Just know that it is here and will arrive on God’s schedule–as does everything that makes the journey from nonbeing to being.
I’ve found that by shifting my belief about the nature of the universe, I attract whatever I desire into my life. I desire love. I desire peace. I desire health. I desire happiness. I desire prosperity. Why would I want to hold the view that our universe is unsupportive, evil, and unfriendly? How could I expect the Divine realm to hear me if I’m asking it to be something other than what it is? Thus, I see my desires in perfect rapport with how the universe works.
When I pray, I do so in the spirit of Saint Francis. Rather than ask God to grant him peace, this inspiring man beseeched God to “make me an instrument of Thy peace.” In other words, “Let me be like the Source from which I originated, and then I will rest in the knowing that it must be here, on its way, and for my highest good.” As you can see, there’s no room for excuses when you apply this model to your everyday life.
As I’ve written and said many times, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” And this applies to the entire universe.
What do you feel about us attracting situations and people into our lives?
Click on the picture to find out more about Excuses Begone!: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits
Last month, I revived #AnythingGoesOnSunday – an invitation for you to add yours link for your Sunday posts to the linky below. No theme, no prompt – anything goes! However, I’d appreciate if you left a comment and visited at least two of the blogs linked before yours! The linky is will be open for the whole month.
I think there is a lot of truth in the world showing us what we look for, even we are not consciously seeking these things out. It is really interesting to look back on life and see the patterns and people we have attracted again and again. I know I try (don’t succeed always!!) 🙂 to be careful with the things I say about myself or those I love. I don’t want to cause something by saying it, bring it into reality if that makes sense. Or maybe I have a high opinion of myself.:) But I do believe words and thoughts have enormous power. It’s worth it to consider carefully the things we allow ourselves to say and think.
So much truth in here. I relate to this on so many levels. I often over extend myself which then breaks me. Recognizing this, remembering it is so important! Thank you for sharing this!
Wayne Dyer is one of the foremost people I turn to when I seek inspiration while I am down and out. It really is true that you attract what you feel or as my dad says, ‘What you resist, persists.’ If we consciously welcome only positive things into our life, we will notice a visible shift. I am not saying that this is always possible, because sometimes, life sucks. But that’s okay too. I think the key is to not get overwhelmed by the negatives but continue to look for the positives. And slowly, we see the shift evolving.
I hear you Corrine but trust is one issue which has scarred me too often. But like you I am learning too. Focusing in all the good things I have , focusing on the love around me and new friendships formed. Forgetting is not possible. I think it would be foolish too. The key I suppose is winning over the negativity and not let those who have let you down win. Lovely post 🙂
Great post! It’s always true that people break our trust! I don’t remember who told me or whether I read this a long time ago but it has become one of my life quotes :”Trusting people means allowing them to fail.” I have seen in my experience over the years that the more I trust people even though they fail me and take me for granted, they do come back over time and we become really close friends that will do anything for each other!
Interesting perspective, Simon. But my problem is as to whether I’m interested in them coming back! 😉
I read you! And yes, it’s true! But it’s a small world and you never know what it will bring back tomorrow!
I think I read something similar in a book call the Secret, if I remember correctly..The idea basically was the same..We receive or see what we put out in the universe…So, if it’s positivity then we do get that in return..But the experiences I have had with giving the universe the benefit of the doubt has really come to hurt me..Like you I feel cynical when dealing with people..Not sure if I can change that or that I want to…It’s definitely not healthy I know…
Somehow I thought The Secret was over the top. Okay, I didn’t read it – but it was pushed too much for my liking – a quick fix kind of thing. Like you, I’m trying to find balance between protecting myself and trusting again.
there is such a fine line between being open to people and trusting and then being able to protect yourself if that trust gets betrayed. I like to think that I give people the benefit of the doubt – unless they’ve stabbed me in the heart before – my post on letting go of old friends covers this a little bit too 🙂
I know, Leanne. I think I should trust my instincts about people who’ve stabbed me in the heart before and keep them far. I think I overthink this.
Perhaps there is a lesson you can take from what has happened to you. It may be that until you learn the lesson life is trying to teach you that things will keep repeating themselves and your trust will continue to be broken.
You can still choose to trust people but remember what has gone before.
Open your heart to all experiences, even the painful ones. Just because someone else has taken advantage of you emotionally or financially, do not let that bad experience define you. If you close yourself off then you are allowing yourself to be negatively affected. Continue to be giving no matter what.
This does not mean saying yes to everything. Create some healthy boundaries, but accept that some people will still not recognise them. You can be kind and understanding without getting caught up in other peoples’ drama. Then in time you are likely to drift away from this type of person naturally.
What you say makes absolute sense, Vicky. Thank you.
Those words are so true. I know that I teach positive thinking to many of my clients. When people believe they can’t achieve their goals and that it is impossible for them to reach their potential that is exactly what will happen. When they believe that anything is possible and they make the effort to try then suddenly positive things begin to happen.