Wildcard Wednesday: Protect Yourself!

As you know, I recently got adopted an overweight but absolutely adorable doggie named Lilly Pulitzer. She is helping me on my journey to wellness because she forces me go outside more than I ever did without her (I try to avoid nature as much as humanly possible) and makes me laugh significantly more than I did before I got her. Lilly is spastic, comedic, impulsive...but most of all, protective. Her foster mom told me that she was a "guard dog" and would bark at people, but I definitely underestimated her protectiveness. Lilly will bark and lunge to attack pretty much anything that she thinks is coming at me, including a vacuum cleaner outside somebody's apartment we walked past today. Now this may seem intense, (and it kinda is when we are on walky walks and she thinks the cute runner boy is Michael Myers) but Lilly seeks to protect me more than I feel the need to protect myself. It may be my Midwestern roots/suburban bubble that I live in, but I usually smile at everyone that walks in my path. I don't automatically assume that people are threatening or dangerous. Part of me thinks that it is good to be so trusting of people. However, since adopting Lilly P., I have been thinking a little more about how easily I trust others and let them into my life. Lilly has to be hugged by me and told, "I like this person" about 12 times before she will be warm and friendly to visitors (just ask anyone that's been to my apartment in the last 10 days). She has to be wooed and petted to trust someone. Then she will love all over you. Maybe that's more of a stance I should take with new people. I never really thought about how protecting myself, both externally and internally, could be an important part of becoming and staying well. I think it is important to welcome new people into your life, but it seems a bit more clear to me that I should proceed with caution. I knew Miss Lilly would be a fun addition to my life, but I didn't think she would exhibit an important lesson. Just something to think about on this Wildcard Wednesday!