If you have found yourself feeling anxious over the contention and chaos of society, you are not alone. However, you can quell that surge of anxiety by staying in the moment, noticing how your breath may be key to living a better life, and creating feelings of trust for you and those most important to you.
Nearly half of Americans report feeling moderately to very concerned about the safety of their money in their bank.[i] Only 16 percent of Americans say that lawyers’ honesty and ethical behavior are “high” or “very high,” according to a December 2023 Gallup poll. However, it gets worse. Lawyers are more trusted than business leaders, insurance salespeople, or stockbrokers. A dismal 12 percent of Americans consider those people highly ethical and honest[ii], and only half of Americans (both Democrats and Republicans) view politicians as ethical.[iii]
With so much distrust in our basic foundations of society, skepticism and distrust are spilling over into our intimate relationships. How can we begin to heal and create trust and connection in our most important relationships?
We may need a little help from tools that can facilitate healing from betrayal, whether societal or within these close relationships. A betrayal therapist, Geoff Steurer, recently said, “Honesty and transparency are the same thing.” [iv] That’s an important point for us to insist on within our relationships—no matter what the context.
Being honest is being transparent. We do not shade or hide. Disclosure is an act of courage and love. Disclosure creates trust when regularly used. Emotional disclosure takes practice. It doesn’t come easily to most.
Public discourse has been going down a slippery slope of shading........