Unlearning to Trust
Apr 23
Written by Jess Lea
Yes, you read that correctly. Unlearning trust is something many of us unconsciously do—and it has a powerful, multifaceted impact on how we live and relate to the world around us. Let’s start at the beginning.
Trust is a fundamental energetic frequency—one that originates from our higher self and our ongoing connection to cosmic intelligence, spirit, and source. In its purest form, trust is as natural and ever-present as the breath. It connects us to our inner wisdom, to the Earth beneath us, and to our relationships with others. It's the quiet confidence that there is a path, that we are held, and that we are not alone.
But as we grow, we begin to unlearn this innate trust. We absorb the energies, behaviors, and beliefs of our environment—our parents, caregivers, teachers, friends, and cultural conditioning. We begin to disconnect from the truth of our emotions and suppress our intuitive knowing in exchange for survival strategies and approval. We are taught—often subtly—that trusting in the unseen world is naive or unsafe. So we start seeking safety in the external: in validation, logic, material success, and predictable outcomes.
This leads to a subtle but profound shift:
We begin to trust others more than ourselves.
We place our sense of direction, safety, and worth into the hands of outside sources—partners, systems, authority figures, societal narratives—while losing sight of our inner compass. When these external sources disappoint or wound us, we assign meaning to that pain: “I must be unlovable,” “I can’t trust anyone,” “I’m not safe in connection.” These become the unconscious stories we live by.
This is how identity forms around wounds.
We internalize the idea that we are victims of life, unworthy, or forever abandoned.
Thoughts spiral. Anxiety builds. The nervous system stays activated. Over time, the body may even express these imbalances through illness.
But what if trust was never something we had to earn or achieve?
What if trust—like love, grace, and presence—is already within us?
When we expand our awareness to see ourselves as souls in a learning process, we start to understand that every challenge, person, and heartbreak can be a teacher. We begin to discern the story we’ve created from looking outside ourselves for guidance and worth. In that awareness, we reclaim a moment of power: the pause.
In that pause, we can ask:
Do I want to re-enter this loop again?
Is this belief mine—or one I inherited?
Can I trust myself to choose differently now?
Healing begins with this awareness.
From there, we create what I like to call an exit plan—a practice of identifying and interrupting the loops that no longer serve us. We find resting points, breathing room, and clarity in the patterns.
Reconnecting with trust means learning to listen again—to our intuition, our body, and the quiet voice of our soul. It's a gentle return to self. It’s the beginning of forming new, aligned connections, taking courageous steps forward, and remembering who we are beneath the noise.
You don’t need to search outside yourself.
Trust is not gone. It’s simply been waiting for you to come home.
