Family, I want to talk to you about something real. Loyalty to loyalty.

A lot of us were taught to be loyal to people, places, and things. Staying felt like the right thing to do. Holding on, sticking it through, and not giving up seemed like proof of character. Loyalty became a badge of honor.

Loyalty also gets rewarded. People praise you for staying. They call you real, rare, and solid. Pride starts to form around how much you can endure. Endurance starts to feel like love.

One question changed everything for me. What is leading my loyalty?

When I got honest with myself, I realized my loyalty was not always rooted in love or character. Many times, it was rooted in abandonment and rejection. Loyalty looked like devotion on the outside, but fear was running it on the inside. I stayed because I did not want him to leave. I stayed because I did not want her to leave. I stayed because I did not want it to stop.

Self loyalty got lost in the process. I rejected myself. I stopped prioritizing my needs, my truth, and my peace. Everyone and everything came first, then I called it loyalty.

This is the discussion. Where in your life have you been loyal to loyalty? Where have you been rewarded for staying while you were silently abandoning yourself?

Talk to me in the comments. What did your loyalty cost you? What would it look like to choose loyalty to you first?