By Jewel Pickert

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Trust is powerful. A successful society revolves around it.

We want to believe in authority figures, like teachers, priests, and others. We hope they tell the truth and are honest with us.

But sometimes that trust is squandered.

Sexual abuse scandals rocked the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts, for instance.

Even some teachers have been caught in such scandals, as well as embezzlement.

That’s not to say all priests, Boy Scout leaders, and teachers have committed these acts, though.

We want to believe in the systems we use and the companies or organizations who create and run those systems.

Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Amazon come to mind.

While they may have started out with good intentions, their practices have become questionable at present.

They actively censor their users’ speech haphazardly. In some cases, they appear to even demonize those they don’t like, like Trump.

But Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Amazon are just companies, not God. No one gave them the right to censor Americans by taking away their free speech. These companies simply took over on their own.

If you want to read more about the nitty gritty details, check out #Deleted by Allum Bokhari, an investigative reporter.

This book is quite illuminating… and scary.

Without trust, institutions and organizations crumble.

As we’ve heard, “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” regardless of who you are.

A system of checks and balances is critical for anyone in a position of authority. Otherwise, our minds can play tricks on us.

Maybe you can fudge this or omit that…just once. Maybe you can cheat by buying admission to a college for your child, as in the case of Lori Loughlin and others.

After all, who else would know? And, no one else would be hurt, right?

Yes, we can play games with our conscience and rationalize any discrepancies or indiscretions away.

But the thing is, it only takes one time. After that, you’re likely to try it one more time…and then another.

Pretty soon, you’ve lost your moral compass, that thing that keeps you grounded.

If someone questions you, you might get irritated. You don’t want to get caught now. Because you’re a good person, right?

You might even get jealous of others who appear to be so happy and free of a guilty conscience.

In the end, you may wish you had never taken that first shaky step.

So it goes. Trust is that important.

Once you have it, it’s better to do everything you can to keep it. Don’t take anything for granted.

Having trust makes you feel lighter and brighter. You have support. Your word means something. You don’t have to worry about hiding anything.

If you’re looking for one thing you can do to increase your worth, make sure you’re trustworthy.

But don’t give your trust to others too freely. Better to have them earn it.

That makes everyone accountable.

In fact, proper accountability ensures no one’s trust is misplaced.

As always, I will strive to add a dose of realism, while putting some worth in your while.