Dooley Noted: 12/16/2015
I have trusted with every ounce of my soul.
I have felt an instinct when people were lying and still did whatever I could to believe them anyway.
It’s not because I’m stupid.
It’s not because I’m a glutton for punishment, either.
And it sure as hell wasn’t to benefit the liar.
I trust because it makes me feel good about me.
I don’t want to live a life where I constantly doubt if what I’m being told is the truth.
I try to create an environment for my patients, colleagues, friends and family that has a blanket of trust not cloaked in judgment.
The less you judge, the more people feel they can share.
And the more they share, the less they may feel the need to lie.
If you’ve been betrayed in the past, it’s ok.
Yes, you may be betrayed again.
But to trust opens up a realm of virtue that no one can take away from you – unless you let them.
Trust is like forgiveness in that way – it benefits the giver.
By no means should you be a doormat.
If people are lying to you – and you know it – feel free to distance yourself.
But you don’t have to punish people in the present for betrayal in your past.
And you certainly don’t have to steal your own joy by not trusting.
Giving someone your trust is ultimately a gift to yourself.
What they do with your trust is, as always, their call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
