Trust is a mindfulness practice. This means it can be cultivated.

It starts with a belief in the basic goodness of you, others, and the world. If you don’t have this belief right now, it’s okay. Perhaps you can open your mind to this possibility.

Trust also involves being authentic, accepting yourself as you are, and knowing your value.

Let me share something that happened the other day.

I was at the bakery counter in the super market. I asked the young man to slice my loaf of bread. When he presented my bread it was tossed about the bag making it impossible to fit into the cover bag without several rips and tears.

I noticed myself feeling annoyed and wanted my bread to be packaged properly. I took a breath and with a smile I asked if he could give it another try. I told him I’d be back in five minutes.

I went to the ladies room. Upon exiting I literally bumped into a very dear childhood friend who I haven’t seen in years. We embraced each other. I felt love, joy, and gratitude.

I walked back to the bakery. The young man proudly presented my loaf of bread. And I practically skipped out of the grocery store.

Here’s my point. If I didn’t honor my sometimes perfectionist self and just took the bread as it was, I would likely not have seen my friend. It was one of those timing things.

Here’s how you can practice trust.

Be present in the moments of your day. Be true to yourself. Flirt with trusting the benevolence of life.