Blind loyalty has to be without a doubt one of the most self-sabotaging and detrimental behaviors currently running rampant through our people like a pandemic far deadlier and inevitably more contagious than Covid-19. And no, I’m not just talking about aligning with the appropriate colors of your political party and affiliation, but in all aspects of your life as well. Being loyal to a person, party, gym, or job simply because it is ingrained into your culture into feelings of unrequited obligations can reap disastrous consequences, including limiting the growth you have in life, making you mentally miserable, stunting your opportunities, and even slowly killing you. You want to be loyal to your mom or your sibling because you share blood and DNA? That’s toxic as hell. Not everyone deserves to be in your life simply because you feel obliged to withhold a loyalty to them for the name that you share. Often times, the ones who mean the best for us are also the ones providing the tough love we may not always want to hear, but they’re the ones who will ensure our survival and our success. Had my parents allowed me to continue down the path of being the Sami Miami fuck up I was headed for just because they were fearful of garnering my loathing and alienation, I’d low key probably be a crackhead prostituting myself on the streets versus a hardworking professional athlete and entrepreneur in the making. This was a combination of my competitive spirit and those around me who cared enough to call me on my bullshit and demand more from me that they knew I was capable of. Hold people accountable, and most of all, demand better of yourself as well.
Don’t kid yourself; you’re not loyal to me, you’re loyal to your innate desire of narcissistic feelings to make sure you win the popularity vote. At the end of the day, I am striving to make differences and accomplish great things while you rally your fellow unaccomplished and unsuccessful minions to hurl more hate and vitriol my way. No one hating on you is ever doing more than you, and I feel sorry for these blind loyal ties scared little people are too fearful to sever. Either that, or they’re shrouded by emotions that trick their brain into thinking those who ask more of them don’t care. Do not confuse my wishes for your greatness with apathy on your feelings, they are not the same. I think one of the hardest things you can bear witness to, is watching people you genuinely care about never reach their full potential because they are inhibited by the nagging sense of faithfulness to placate others deemed to be “the right thing” and therefore never reach out and take risks to achieve a greater success. I am trying to live each day as if there is someone constantly asking me what I have done and accomplished thus far that makes me proud, and I can’t imagine what it would be like to come up with an empty list. Sure, I may have failed more times than I can count, but I have also reached milestones and garnered accolades and triumphs that many could never even fathom, because I was loyal to myself first. At the end of the day, you may be more universally liked by the “inner circle” due to your allowance of behaviors and attitudes so you don’t ruffle any feathers, but I will always take solace in knowing you aren’t fit to scrape the callouses off of my feet let alone have my name escape your dusty lips.
In life, death comes for everyone; it is our only guarantee. It is the inevitable constant reminder that our time on this earth is finite, and while we may be limited in our physical form, the impact we all have the ability to imprint on others can live on eternally. I want my death to have meaning, and not just to have those who are personally in my lives weep over the departed spirit I leave. I want to transform the lives of others for the better, and to do things in my lifetime that truly help others and pack a powerfully positive impact on anyone and everyone that I can. Are you loyal to your job because of convenience or an unwavering sense of trust? If you were to die tomorrow, would your job spend more time coming up with a ‘Help Wanted’ ad than honoring your memory? Are you afraid to leave your first Jiu Jitsu gym because of a blind loyalty on where you srated your illustrious martial arts journey? Are they now hindering your growth after needs have changed and now your career in the sport is suffering? Are you afraid to cut ties with a family member because you are guilted into thinking they need you around because of shared genetics? And are you solemnly voting for those unfit to serve in power for the sole fact that the color of their party affiliation aligns with yours? Blind loyalty will not only impair your vision, but place blockades on your life as well. When death comes for you, how likely are you to be full of regret for the risks you never took and opportunities you failed to seize because you contorted yourself into a blind, oppressive little box.
Y’all are tripping if you don’t think some days I want to log onto social media, air out all the stressful grievances clouding my mind, rant about the pieces of shit human beings trying to make my life hard, and generally bitch about all the woeful occurrences trying to bring me down. But what does that accomplish? If anything, people will learn to associate you with a negative and complaintive mindset and others will relish in the fact that your are facing difficulty after difficulty. Truth is, we are all dealing with chaos and crap that threaten to swallow us whole on the daily, but no one wants to log onto their accounts, which many use as an escape from their real world troubles, and see you making incessant post after incessant post with self-pitying language over all the obstacles you are facing. I’ve removed countless people from my accounts that never personally did anything to me, but their incessant ‘woe is me’ posts were killing my mental health. I’m more loyal to my sanity and happiness than I will ever Beto your online friendship, and that’s facts. Chadwick Boseman, may he rest in peace, was battling a terminal illness that only his inner circle had knowledge of, and his inevitable death came as a shock to the world. He could have easily garnered ample amounts of sympathy, opening his private life for the world to dissect just to gain a smattering of encouraging words, but he chose to walk in silence and what an absolutely brave and admirable trait that is. Wakanda forever.
Memento Mori. Death comes for all of us in the end. Do we embrace it as a long awaited restful sleep after a lifetime of working hard and making things better around us? Is it a reprieve to those who have struggled and worked incredibly hard. Or is it a mere snuff on the timetable of life, sneaking up before you are ready and at peace with yourself, and causing you to wonder if you truly lived a life worth remembering? You don’t have to save the world, but if you lived your life trying to destroy and break down the worlds of others, then you’re a piece of shit, plain and simple. I said what I said. And if you lived a lifetime without trying to leave a positive mark, or pushing boundaries and limits and taking risks in order to live it to your fullest, then you will die with regret laden heavy in your heart. Living is a beautiful lie, while death is a painful truth, and fact of the matter is, people don’t like to be bitch slapped across the face with brutal honesty, despite how necessary it can be. Humans squawk all day about facts versus fiction, but no one wants to confront these truths head on, because it’s easier to stay in your safe, loyal hole despite how miserable you may end up rather than branching out to try something new in the fear it may not work out. Love hard, try harder, don’t be scared to upset people and burn bridges if necessary due to a blind loyalty completely hindering your life, do all that you can in this lifetime, and above all, remember your mortality.
