In a movie I saw a while ago, Canadians were talking on camera about their daily lives and many of them mentioned they never lock their doors at home.

If you're reading this article in one of America's big cities, you're probably laughing right now. It just doesn't happen here, in the States, right?

Besides the fact that they're unusually nice people, what's wrong with our neighbors to the north?

Don't they get it? We live in a tough world, and you just can't get away with TRUSTING people this way. Sooner or later, your naiveté is going to catch up to you, and look out!

Actually, this is an unfortunate frame of mind; the same suspicious one that maintains no good deed goes unpunished.

Trust is important to our health, and particularly to our mental health.

If we distrust our neighbors, our acquaintances, family, business associates, we'll always be in a state of stress. Our stomachs, hearts and minds will be clenched, and this will not only keep us from enjoying ourselves, it could catalyze the conditions that will precipitate an early demise.

When we distrust, we're like police, constantly patrolling, protecting, anticipating the worst outcomes.

Recently, I had a business transaction in which my counterpart demonstrated he couldn't be trusted. I was disappointed, to say the least, and I had to fight off the temptation to cloister myself behind added rules and regulations and legal boilerplate before entering my next agreement.

But I stopped myself. I looked back on the hundreds of good relationships I've had during the course of my consult

ing practice, and saw that this untrustworthy person was truly exceptional.

I can count on one hand the number of similar people with whom I've had a problem.

So, I determined all of the armoring that I was considering was an over-reaction.

Instead of locking that door to my business, I'd be slightly more Canadian about it.

For me, trusting is a happier way of doing business.

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