Before I even consider trusting someone with my time or money, I pay attention to the little things they do and say. If you ever notice a person actually does what they said they would do, that's one of the clearest signals they can be trusted.
I don't care what anyone claims, if there’s a pattern where someone says “I’ll handle this” and then disappears or gives you stories only after you start following up, you just saw a red flag. The same thing goes for promises, if you always have to be the one to remind them then you already know it’s not someone you can count on.
This also applies to people who talk about others when those people aren’t around.
If they have no problem throwing someone under the bus, trust me, they will do the same to you when you’re not present. One thing my dad told me when I was younger that never left my mind is, "if someone can do something to someone, they have the ability to do it, all that has to happen is you being on their wrong side and right there you become the victim of their bad character".
I’m not saying you need to test people like it’s some kind of experiment, but when you interact with people you will see quickly who stands by their words and who doesn’t. If I offer you something small as a loan and you return it as agreed, then maybe I consider going further. If you need help and you explain what you want clearly, how you’ll handle it and what to expect, I take you seriously.
My point for this blog is if it’s always you chasing after someone for what they promised, then it means the trust is already broken.