The Awesome Art of Trusting

How many times have you heard and believed the phrase “just trust me”! There are very few of us who, hand on heart, can say we believe it or trust it when we hear it.

The dictionary defines trust as a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, strength of someone or something. As a baby we have an undefinable trust in the world because we know no better but as we grow up we become more cynical as we learn how tough the world can be. Trust very often flies straight out the window and the funny thing is that the one person we very rarely trust is ourselves. Our instincts are often clouded by bad experiences or what we perceive as a lack of support so how do we regain that trust in ourselves and others. In my own experience it has often been because support has come from an unexpected source or I all of a sudden find a faith in my own abilities through the strangest circumstances.

The shape of my whole body is changing, at the moment it looks very odd as some parts are tightening up and others not quite there yet.  Trying to buy clothes is hopeless as I am verging between several different sizes so most days I look like bag lady. To be honest it was starting to get me down, every time I looked in the mirror (which I don’t do often) instead of focussing on the improving bits, all I can see is the flabby, horrible parts that still need work. I started to become annoyed at my own sheer lack of trust in my own abilities and the work I am doing at the gym.

So how do I resolve this? How on earth can someone who hates looking at themselves in the mirror start to celebrate and see the better shape in my arms, the definite sign of an ab and legs that might just start to look good in stockings again?

The answer came in the shape of a very simple little blister on my hand! Yes, it is tiny and to most insignificant, but to me it is a badge of honour. It is there because of the hard work I am starting to really put in at the gym. The fact that I am now doing bicep curls with a 7kg weight, and today I actually tried an 8kg. The sense of pride in that tiny blister may seem silly but it is there because, despite not trusting every instinct that wants me to give up when I am knackered, I am finding a new trust in starting to believe that the other flabby bits will eventually blossom into nice curves that I will be happy with.

So when GymGuyMark says that I did well today or even goes so far as to describe it as “awesome”, there is a part of me that is now starting to believe and trust that the agony of the lifting, walking, rowing, ‘crosstrainering’, ‘situpping’ and stretching that he puts me through, is working and will continue to work.

Trust in ourselves is a key to self belief. Learn to trust yourselves my friends, it is pure awesome!