All You Need

Our way of life is one of the biggest obstacles to trust. We believe advance planning and preparation are critical to survival and success. In fact, we insist on proof of everything from love to nutrition to mathematical problems. We grow up having to prove ourselves, showing our worthiness before we can be trusted with the car, on a date and so on.

We’re taught to be very careful about giving trust in relationships, and we learn to stockpile money and things just in case we might need them some day and they might not be available then. In other words, we’re taught that there’s not enough to go around and to behave accordingly.

The only place most of us hear about the value of trust is in our spiritual practice, whether it’s at church or a yoga class, but whether we call it trust or faith, most of us really struggle with the concept.

Faith
Faith is usually understood to mean belief in a Higher Power, but it also means trusting that you will be provided with what you need when you need it, and that there naturally is always enough to go around. More than that, trust is a way of being in the world that’s totally relaxed and open to the moment. Trust is a function of feeling, and we live in a thinking world, so mastering it can require some practice.

People who have faith, who really do trust their Higher Power or the workings of the Universe, know that all they need to do is make a wish, let it go, and then, if they think about it at all after that, it’s with a sense of smiling anticipation, like waiting for Christmas morning. No endlessly repeated affirmations, no dream houses pasted on your mirror, no frantic prayers, no second guessing, no more than momentary fear or anxiety, no just-in-case planning. Just relaxed, positive expectation.

Trust
The biggest obstacle to abundance and love, the monkey wrench that wrecks anyone’s success in manifesting what they want, is a lack of trust. One of the hardest lessons to learn is that usually the Universe or your Higher Power can come up with better solutions than you can possibly imagine. So, if you keep insisting that your need must be met in a particular way, and at a particular time, then you’re cutting off your most creative, resourceful and powerful gift-giver and problem-solver, your Higher Power!

Trust building tips:
Your best resource for building trust is your memory.

1. The best way to start building trust is to remember the times you really, really needed something and it came to you, against all odds, either exactly as you requested, or in an even better form.
Keeping a list or journal is helpful. Add to it daily if possible. Even more important, remember how you felt while waiting to get what you needed – and how you felt when it happened. Learning to recognize the feelings of expectation (if you just knew it would work out) and amazed fulfillment (when it did) is key, because that’s how you feel nearly all the time when you trust in good outcomes.

2. Next, think about the times when you were sure the world would come to an end if you didn’t have a particular need fulfilled and it didn’t happen. Guess what? You survived! Remember what created the feelings of panic and the feeling of relief when the crisis passed. Were there unexpected ways your real needs, rather than your perceived needs, were met at the time? Were the solutions even better for you than what you so desperately wanted? More things to add to your journal…

3. Last but far from least, start noticing the really great things – and little fun things – that come to you that you hadn’t even thought to wish for. Then start remembering important ones from the past. The person you met, the job offer from out of nowhere, the huge tax refund, the unexpected inheritance, the daffodils that popped up unexpectedly in your yard, the $50 bill sitting next to your car door with no one nearby to claim it – these unexpected gifts all increase the awareness that you do live in a benevolent Universe. This could be the most important part of your journal!

After you’ve gathered all this evidence, begin your practice of trust with small things. Place your request, let it go and wait with relaxed anticipation. Then be sure to notice when what you get far exceeds what you requested.