As a counsellor, the most important thing I see in my clients is the need to trust themselves. Not many people believe that they can do this because they are afraid. This fear can be the result of patterns and beliefs laid down over years that can lower self belief and make people feel very vulnerable. Fear can be very debilitating and can leave many feeling very alone.

My own journey in life has been about overcoming fear. In a spiritual sense, we are disconnected when we are fearful. We cannot or do not trust others and certainly do not trust ourselves. The key word here is TRUST. In order to feel connected we need to develop trust. I guess another word for feeling connected is belonging.  Trust of course has to be earned. We cannot willy-nilly put our trust in anyone or anything. It is natural if we have learned so far that we cannot trust others. So before we can trust anyone they need to show us that they can be trusted. But there is a trust that we can start developing now and that is trust in ourselves.

A Parent who loves you will always be there for you and will help you through difficult times by showing you that you are just as deserving and important as anyone else. They will also try to guide you if they think you have made an unwise decision. At those times a young person might feel that their parents are being hard on them, only to find later that they were right. So how do we look after and learn to trust ourselves if we haven’t had that kind of guidance? Start by listening to your own gut feelings. Ask yourself “How do I feel about this? The wisdom inside us gives us the answers. That wisdom is a divine gift to every individual and all we need to do is tap into it. It is our intuition. Learn to listen and reflect on your inner world. Like a loving Parent, we have to learn to parent ourselves. Sometimes we also may have to make choices that are hard. This is where trust comes in. Trust in your own ability to seek the answers from inside yourself. Do what is to your highest good. Listen to the still small voice inside you and learn to be there for yourself. (Like a really good friend would be there for you.)

Also be discerning and slowly allow others in, people you feel you can trust and who are consistent in their words and behaviour. Above all trust that something far greater than you, wants you to be happy and in doing so learning to connect, not only with yourself and others but with all there is spiritually.

Much love,

Gillian.