It’s often necessary to profess and demonstrate your loyalties, positions and opinions. It can be uncomfortable but silence is often confused with consent. I certainly wouldn’t want my loyalty to a loved one, friend or a colleague to ever come into question. So occasionally, I must force myself to have that awkward moment when I assert my disposition and mindset so as not to confuse or mislead those in my life that count.
You can’t always sit on the fence. There are times in life when you must choose a side. It doesn’t mean you disrespect the inclinations of others. It just means that you are clear about where you stand. The people aligned with you are certain of your stance and know without a doubt that you aren’t a traitor.
I understand that in certain social settings it is necessary to spend time with people that aren’t on the same page with you. I make an effort to be friendly with those that I may not count as friends. However, going overboard may send incorrect signals to observers and to the persons in question. It is immensely important to be crystal clear about where and with whom your loyalties lay. There are people in my life that I care deeply about whom I would never want to give cause to question my loyalty. While I don’t spend a great deal of time worrying what others think of me, I wouldn’t want to put out mixed messages either.
“Trust is earned, respect is given, and loyalty is demonstrated. Betrayal of any one of those is to lose all three.”
Ziad K. Abdelnour
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