Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Loyalty: Cornerstone #7

Loyalty is a vanishing commodity in today's world but it's importance cannot be overstated.  While corporations shed employees at will or employees jump ship at the first appealing opportunity, loyalty has become increasingly elusive.  Loyalty is for the good times, the bad times, and for those times where staying loyal seems to be at odds with your own best personal interests. 

There are no degrees of loyalty.  Whether it's fidelity in marriage, loyalty on the job, or the "I've got your back" mentality of friendship, loyalty is an all-in proposition. I'm a little guy, but in a fight you can count on me to have your back for whatever that counts for. I've spent 26 years on the same job through plenty of adversity that could've sent me looking for greener pastures but I didn't go.  I don't backstab and I often assume blame that belongs to others. After 25 years of marriage, I'm still happily married and my wife can count on me to remain loyal despite whatever temptation may come my way.

Loyalty must be an equally balanced equation.  Real loyalty is earned through the implicit understanding of that reciprocity.  People often expect loyalty but aren't prepared to give it. A betrayal of loyalty was actually the catalyst for my Grinder experience. I demonstrated my sense of loyalty by remaining loyal even after the betrayal.  That was an extremely tough course of action but it has turned out to be the right decision. 

Loyalty is my own code of ethics.  It helps maintain my dignity.  It helps maintain my integrity, reliability, dependability, and trustworthiness when life makes things murky.  Loyalty is what compels me to travel the more difficult road when an easier one is readily available. Loyalty is the glue that binds my Cornerstones together.

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