The Trust Muscle

July 19, 2026

It’s mid-July and the heat has set in. No surprise. However, this summer has brought some new developments that feel like surprises from the universe…..like an unexpected promotion at work, and our decision to buy a house here in Fort Worth. Plot twist!

For several years we have dreamed of moving to the Texas Hill Country, without knowing when or how. When we sold our house, the plan was to rent until we could move and buy a house. It’s always amazing how time flies and life takes us on wild rides and detours. The pandemic was a big one, and my dad’s long journey through Alzheimer’s, followed by my mother-on-law’s battle with Alzheimer’s. We have needed to be here.

As we look ahead to the future, we know there will be more twists and turns and surprises. But for now, we are happy living and working here, and it’s time to buy a house. This process calls for trust, which feels like a muscle. As I do my morning yoga, I am often invited to choose a word or an intention for the day. Lately, it’s been trust.

I’ve found that building the trust muscle brings many rewards, including joy. When I truly let go and trust the universe, trust my inner wisdom and divine order, I feel free. I feel the movement of Spirit as guidance and provision. I feel energized and empowered. This is joyful.

When uncertainty is high, the trust muscle gets tested. Change and uncertainty came with the package of this life, so no surprise there. The question is how can we practice trust every day and strengthen that muscle?

I’ve learned that it starts with what and how I think, what I tell myself, and how I choose to navigate the twists and turns. One of the tricky parts of trust is nonjudgment, because if we truly trust the process, the wisdom and order inherent in all life, there isn’t room for judgment. Discernment, yes. Judgment, no.

This trips me up time and time again. It’s so easy to judge people, situations, and circumstances, to think we know better…perhaps because we feel vulnerable and it helps us feel stronger. It’s easier than using our trust muscles, but it weakens them. It weakens us.

Have no fear, and trust that you are completely supported in all the good you are here to reveal. You are so loved by life. Life is here to support you. This, you can trust. Have faith in the process. Have faith in you. Fear not, for you are guided and directed always and in all ways. -Eugene Holden

I love this reminder. When my trust is wavering, it helps me to turn to the voices of wisdom and truth who are further along in their enlightenment. They remind me of that which is universal, unwavering, and constant. I am reminded that this wisdom and truth are in me. There is certainty there when life feels uncertain. This brings comfort, hope, and joy.

Each time I practice trust and the universe closes a door that is not mine to walk through, opens a window that is mine to see through, and brings glad surprises into my life, my trust muscle grows stronger. The next time is easier, and it becomes more and more natural to trust the universe and trust myself ~ to trust life, despite the craziness.

Trust muscles are honed each time I practice letting go of that which I can’t control. Most things are beyond our control, and this is uncomfortable. I realize that all I can control is myself ~ my own thoughts, words, and actions ~ and that’s about it! That domain is challenging enough, and the training ground for trust. This is where we develop strength and resilience and discover our power.

When we can no longer trust what we see and hear in the world, collective trust is eroded. There are cracks in the foundation of humanity. Fear and division deepen. This is where we are. One way we get through this and repair the damage is to remember what we have forgotten - the truth of our oneness with God and each other. Herein lie the seeds of trust, healing, and hope.

Hope springs from that which is right in front of us, which surprises us, and seems to work (Anne Lamott). So step by step, in our daily round, we build our trust in God, ourselves, and each other through simple acts of kindness, generosity, and grace. We open our eyes and our minds to wonder and surprise. We trust that which is greater than us to see us through.

Grace & Gratitude, ej Elisa J. Juarez