Reflecting on my experiences with people of various levels of loyalty, I find it intriguing how those who profess their utmost loyalty or feel the need to emphasize it often fall short in both words and actions.
Loyalty is its own reward. You don’t need to declare your loyalty; you either are or you aren’t. In most cases, your actions will speak volumes about who you are.
Loyalty can come at a cost. Your personal morals will shape the strength of the oath of loyalty you choose to take. Whether this is an internal commitment or openly expressed, it’s something to contemplate seriously before vocalizing it.
Keep in mind that while being loyal is admirable, if you expect others to be loyal to you simply because they claim to be, you might want to take that commitment with a grain of salt—or in some cases, an entire salt mine.
Loyalty is its own reward. The true reward lies not with those to whom you’ve declared your loyalty, but in how you can see yourself in the mirror and maintain eye contact with the person to whom you pledged loyalty when your commitment is put to the test.
Take what you will from this, and remember that not only is loyalty its own reward, but so is the karma tied to that reward.