What is Trust?: Redefining the Foundation of Every Relationship

Most of us think of “trust” as something big and dramatic — either it’s there or it’s shattered. But the truth is, trust is built (and broken) in small ways all day long.

It’s your partner remembering to grab your favorite snack at the store.
It’s a colleague following through on the deadline they promised.
It’s the friend who listens without jumping in to fix.

Trust isn’t only about betrayal or loyalty. At its core, trust is about consistency and care in the everyday moments — and those moments add up.

The problem isn’t that we don’t value trust. It’s that we don’t always notice how it’s built — or how it’s slowly eroded.

Everyday Signs of Trust (and Distrust)

Here are some of the most common ways trust sneaks into daily life:

• Kept or Broken Promises: Did they show up when they said they would? Did you?
  
  
• Confidentiality: Can I trust you with this piece of my heart? My idea? My worry?
  
  
• Follow-Through: Do actions match words, even in small commitments?
  
  
• Emotional Safety: Can I be honest here without being judged, dismissed, or mocked?
  
  

These moments may feel small, but they matter. Because trust isn’t built in grand gestures — it’s built brick by brick, in the ordinary. And when those bricks crack, the foundation wobbles.

Why Naming It Helps

The moment you notice, “Oh, this is a trust moment,” you shift from autopilot to awareness.

Naming it gives you choice.

• Instead of assuming, you can ask.
  
  
• Instead of dismissing, you can acknowledge.
  
  
• Instead of letting it slide, you can repair in real time.
  
  

When you see trust as something created daily, you realize: it’s not fragile, but it does require care.

The Self-Coaching Moment

Next time you feel that subtle spark of reassurance — or disappointment — pause and ask yourself:

• What just built trust here?
  
  
• What just chipped away at it?
  
  
• What can I do, right now, to repair or reinforce it?
  
  

These questions move you from unconscious patterns to intentional connection.

Your Turn

Think back over your last 24 hours. Where did trust quietly show up? A follow-through? A let-down? A moment of emotional safety?

Write down three moments you noticed. What could shift if, instead of taking them for granted, you treated them as building blocks for deeper trust — in yourself and in others?

📄 Want a simple way to remember the key steps? Download the 1-page Trust Tracker Cheatsheet 

💌 Want more ways to strengthen trust in yourself and your relationships? Subscribe to Uncensored: The Self Coach Journal — your weekly guide to self-coaching, conscious communication, and Transformational Conflict™.

🌐 Learn more at www.MarianneMacKenzie.com

P.S. Trust doesn’t live in the big promises. It lives in the small, consistent moments — and you have the power to build it every day.