Trust is hard to come by. That's why my circle is small and tight. I'm kind of funny about making new friends.
- Eminem

Trust is the foundation of all human connections, from chance encounters to friendships and intimate relationships... But some times,you may find yourself struggling to decide whether or not to trust someone.

Don't worry its normal not to trust someone easily! I don't trust people easily. And obviously don't throw discernment out the window when I encounter new people, but neither do I enter into new relationship with suspicion. Essentially, I choose to believe the best; to take people at their word; and to give people the benefit of the doubt. To put it another way, I trust people until they give me a reason not to.

Maybe you feel similarly, and even if you don't, you've probably experienced broken trust in a past relationship that has caused you to question whether or not it's worth trusting again. When you find yourself struggling to decide whether or not to trust someone, it's important to figure out the reasons why.

Here’s three common reasons that hold you back from trusting others:

Past experiences

People who may be hurt... Hurt! Those who have been hurt by broken relationships in the past often hurt other people as a form of self-protection. Whether it's unnecessarily withholding trust, having unrealistic expectations from others, or operating out of low self-esteem, our past experiences with broken trust can easily derail us from developing healthy, high-trust relationships.