A woman once said to me,
“I trusted my husband… and he betrayed me. How can I ever trust anyone again?”

And you know what?
That hit deep – because I’ve been there too.
But here’s what I told her (and remind myself often):

Trusting someone and believing in someone are not the same.

Trust is grounded. Belief can be blind.

Trust is when you say:

“I know you’re human. You’ll mess up sometimes. And that’s okay – I still feel safe here”.

Belief is when you put someone on a pedestal.

You see only the good.
You expect perfection.
And when that illusion breaks – it hurts.

But let’s be honest – how often do we do that to ourselves?

Let’s flip the mirror.

We say we want to trust others…
But how many times have you told yourself:

• “I’ll start eating better on Monday”.
• “This time I’ll really go to the gym”.
• “I’ll finally rest this weekend”.

And then… didn’t?
Can you honestly say you trust yourself 100%?
Most of us can’t. And that’s not something to shame – it’s something to notice.

Trust doesn’t mean ignoring red flags.

Belief doesn’t mean romanticizing reality.

Let’s be real: people will let us down.
We’ll let ourselves down, too.
But the answer isn’t to shut off our hearts.
The answer is to build a new kind of trust:
Rooted. Conscious. Gentle. With boundaries.

So what do we do?

1. Start small. Keep the little promises to yourself. Drink that water. Say “no” when you mean “no”.
2. Let belief have limits. Believe in people – but not blindly. Let your hope come with wisdom.
3. Stop outsourcing your truth. You don’t need someone to be your anchor. Be your own.

Trust in measure keeps your heart open and protected.

We’re not here to become cold or closed-off.
We’re here to love wisely.
To believe in goodness – but with both feet on the ground.
So next time you say,
“I trusted them and they let me down…”
ask instead:
“Did I trust wisely? Did I trust myself first?”
That’s where the real healing begins.

With love, always.
Your soft, grounded, slightly-sassy inner guide.