🐾 LOYALTY
“Loyalty means I am down with you whether you are wrong or right, but I will tell you when you are wrong and help you get it right.” – Unknown
Loyalty is the decision to stay—with people, with principles, with purpose—even when things are messy. For ADHDers, whose lives often move in fits and starts, whose energy can be inconsistent and whose memory might falter, loyalty isn’t always about routine presence—it’s about unwavering heart.
We may forget birthdays, miss cues, or go quiet during overwhelm. But when we care, we care hard. Loyalty for ADHDers often lives in action: in showing up when it matters, in defending the people we love, in sticking with what feels meaningful even when the world says, “You should’ve moved on by now.”
Loyalty also applies to ourselves. It means being faithful to our values, our growth, our unique rhythm. It means not abandoning ourselves when we’re misunderstood, struggling, or falling short. Living this value means asking, “What do I want to stand by, even when it’s inconvenient or invisible?”
At its best, loyalty builds trust—within, between, and around us. It’s not blind devotion. It’s honest allegiance. A willingness to say, “I’m here. I see you. I still care.”
🧭 The HOPE Trail Map
- Helps or Harms: Is this loyalty serving growth—or keeping me stuck in outdated stories?
- Own My Values: I want to be someone who stays close to what matters—even through difficulty or discomfort.
- People and Pursuits: Who deserves my loyalty, and how can I show it clearly? What purpose do I return to, again and again?
- Enact and Evaluate: Today, I’ll honour one loyalty—by showing up, speaking up, or simply staying present.
⚠️ Trail Challenges
- Emotional dysregulation may make loyalty hard to express calmly.
- People-pleasing can disguise itself as loyalty but lead to burnout.
- Loyalty to toxic patterns or people may feel familiar but harmful.
🪧 Trail Markers: Small Steps Toward Loyalty
- Reach out to someone you’ve been distant from—and let them know you still care.
- Reflect on where you’ve been loyal to yourself, even when it was hard.
- Say aloud: “I can be loyal without losing myself.”
🔥 Campfire Questions for Reflection
- Who or what do I keep coming back to—and why?
- How do I know when loyalty is strengthening me vs. trapping me?
- What does it mean to be loyal to my values in the ADHD wilderness?
Loyalty is not about staying the same. It’s about staying true—through change, through challenge, through the real work of being human.
