5 Ways to be Loyal to Yourself

02 May 5 Ways to be Loyal to Yourself

When I think of loyalty, I think of man’s best friend… the dog. Everyone ought to get one just to experience that kind of devotion. I mean, who or what, can compare to the unconditional love and admiration received from those tail-wagging, drool-dripping, adorable canines?

I used to have two dogs growing up, and there was never a day when I didn’t feel their loyalty, a character trait, sadly enough, many people never get to experience. If I had to describe it, I’d say my dogs were loving, obedient, trustworthy, forgiving, protective and very good listeners; and let me just add, being on the ‘receiving end’ of all that loyalty felt really good!

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to be loyal means to be unswerving in allegiance. Thing is… many of us spend so much time being loyal to other people, that we often forget the need to be loyal to ourselves. Add the daily, hectic routine we go through, and it’s easy to see why we forget to focus on doing the things that make us happy, or move us towards those things we deserve out of life. We forget to stop, even just for a moment, to stick to our plans.

When you’re loyal to yourself, your confidence increases, because there’s no better mood lifter than knowing you’re actively loving yourself. Loyalty to self can manifest itself at work and in our relationships with family and friends, so I’ve come up with some suggestions related to these core areas, because that’s where most of us get blindsided because of the routine of life.

Remember what you want… and go after it

Think back to the start of the year, when you wrote your 2011 New Year’s resolutions. Do you still remember what was written on there? Maybe keep going to the gym even after Carnival is over, or get a new job? Have you found yourself lapsing because you’ve become burdened with all the other stresses in life? If so, no worries. And doh say you doh have time. Make time. Thing is, if you keep waiting around for time to land on your lap, you might as well kiss that that thing you want goodbye. Give yourself the motivational pep talk to get up and go.

Stand by your principles 

Each person’s belief system will vary, and it is in these differences that we find ourselves having to stand for what we believe in the most… things like morality, the way we treat people and vice versa, our work ethics, how we view God… and the list goes on. At the end of the day, you’ll have to make many choices in life, and what will matter most is whether or not you’ll be able to live with the decisions you’ve made.

Remember who you are

This involves ‘cleaning up house’, and yep… you’ll have your work cut out for you. When we get bogged down with the daily stresses of life, we sometimes lose sight of who we are. At some point, you’ll have to make up your mind to ‘take a five’. Remain loyal to your core needs and desires. Invest a little time reacquainting yourself with all your likes and dislikes, what you’re good at, or the dreams you once had for yourself. In doing so, you’ll discover a renewed spirit for living, one that allows you to explore all those capabilities you had tucked away.

Be honest about your vice(s) 

Behaviours like violence or drunkenness, character traits such as lying or cheating, and low self-esteem problems are the direct results of not being honest with ourselves. Sometimes our egos and laziness get in the way of progress, and then honesty becomes a low priority. We tell ourselves things like “one more cupcake isn’t gonna matter much”, or “she made me hit her”.

Unfortunately, many folks just want to escape from any difficulty, with the least amount of effort, when it comes to accountability and making changes. Honesty takes work on a daily basis, and, with each vice you conquer, rest assured that your character will become better because of it.

Forgive yourself

Do you ever feel like kicking yourself in the butt because of some of the choices you’ve made? Like past or current relationships, a business deal ‘gone bad’ or things that you’ve said and then regretted later?

Instead of walking around with feelings of shame, guilt or depression because of the bad choices you’ve made, keep your vibrations high so that you’ll be able to navigate out of the situation in the fastest and best way possible. Don’t be too hard on yourself either. If it were your friend, you’d probably say, “Take it easy; all you can really do now is learn from your mistake”. Right?

Every step you take towards becoming more loyal to yourself is like adding money to your bank account. Each investment you make in your life will accumulate interest, and with time you’ll become stronger. Being loyal to yourself definitely has benefits, including living a more fulfilled and successful life.

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