Trust ... it's such a big word, and upon it pivots most conflicts and communication as a whole. Can I trust you to...be there for me. To play your part. To be faithful. To have integrity. To be open with your feelings. To show respect.

Trust is necessary for any collective effort to succeed or at least be well executed. One of the things that marks good teamwork is an understanding that even highly insignificant actions have a profound effect on each other and also equally the relationship as a whole.

With his widely acclaimed book The Four Agreements, bestselling author Miguel Ruiz offers a helpful template: 1) Say what you mean, 2) Avoid taking anything personally, 3) Never make assumptions, and 4) Always do the best you can. These basic concepts are common sense, but they're not always easy to follow in a culture where winning and commerce are valued more than life itself. Integrity becomes one of the unfortunate casualties when no one is held accountable for their agreements.

Ruiz believes integrity in your word is the most important thing, and most would agree with him. When we lack integrity, it should be no surprise that others will also find us untrustworthy.

Over the course of our lives, we will surely fail at times, but hopefully that will happen less frequently as we learn and grow in wisdom and come to fully understand what it is we are asked to do as human beings, in relationship with one another and causing least damage on the world around us. The more aware we become of the disadvantages of breaking our word, the more we might (hopefully!) become adept at repairing the bond of trust between us and others. We should also become increasingly better at repairing our relationships when things go wrong. There's no doubt that trust remains at the core of any successful relationship. It's a currency we must never underestimate.