Recently, Brene Brown was on Super Soul Sunday and shared a useful acronym for the purpose of building and nurturing trust in relationships. She calls it BRAVING, and here it is:
- Boundaries: Are you clear about your own and others boundaries, and are they mutually respected?
- Reliability: Will you do what you say you will? Can you be counted on?
- Accountability: Are you willing to own your mistakes? Better yet, do you make amends when you have transgressed, either intentionally or unintentionally?
- Vault: Do you keep what is shared in confidence?
- Integrity: Do you live in alignment with your values, rather than just professing them?
- Non-judgment: Can you be vulnerable without being judged? Do you refrain from judging yourself for needing help? Are you non-judgemental when others are vulnerable?
- Generosity: Can you assume the most generous thing about the other person’s intent and behaviors, maintaining a positive perspective?
Trust is built in small, everyday interactions and by repetition over time. By keeping BRAVING in mind as you go about interacting with others, you are nurturing trust and safety. For relationships that have suffered blows due to betrayal, neglect, or abuse, making a commitment to BRAVING is one of the most important things you can do, assuming you want the relationship to heal and flourish.
Until next time, peace.