Where does your loyalty lay?

I’ve been thinking a lot about loyalty since the end of my marriage. I realized that I am loyal to a fault and I know I’m not the only one. Some of the reasons we’re loyal is because change can be scary or we don’t think we can do better.

Growing up I remember hearing how being loyal is a good thing. Be loyal to your friends and they will treat you right. Be loyal to your spouse and your marriage will last. Be loyal to the company you work for and they will take care of you and you’ll prosper.

Well that’s a load of shit. I say that because I have been loyal to “friends” who have treated me horrible. I was loyal to my husband who was abusive. I’ve been loyal to companies I’ve worked for with no reward. This falsity keeps people in relationships and jobs that are unhealthy and sometimes dangerous.

Changing my character is not going to happen. I’m a loyal person and loyalty is a good quality to have but I’ve learned that my loyalty has been misplaced. So I’ve had to adjust where my loyalty lays.

Now I am loyal to myself first. Meaning I am loyal to my values, my ethics, my self worth, my mental health, my physical health, and my overall wellness. That does not mean that I won’t be loyal to others. It mean that I use my loyalty to me as a guideline to decide who gets my loyalty.

I choose who I’m loyal to by seeing if it aligns with my own loyalty. If being loyal to someone else causes me to not be loyal to me, then they do not deserve my loyalty. My loyalty and your loyalty is a precious gift that should be earned and not given willynilly. Treasure this gift you have to give. Keep it safe until the right person/job comes along.

Since this is a gift that you can give, you can also take it away. If a person’s actions continually cause you to choose being loyal to them or yourself, you must chose your own loyalty. Set your boundaries and walk away if they don’t respect it. You’re worthy and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.