Security Measures

Security measures are defined by Vocabulary.com as measures taken as a precaution against theft or espionage or sabotage. It is a type of guard, a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury.  We all lock our doors, literally and figuratively. And some lock their doors more than others. Some lock only the doors that lead to specific rooms. We lock them in case someone wants to come in and steal something; a piece of your heart, a page out of your life or your jewellery. It’s almost as if you’re always just ready for somebody to come and hurt you. So we say to ourselves that we will not allow people into our space. We will not allow them to come in and destroy.

We can have many reasons for locking our doors. Past hurt, lessons learned and wounds that remind us to stay safe. I used to lock my door all the time, even during the day. Locking your door has practical reasons, like we live in South Africa and crime is a real thing. But one day I slept with the door unlocked, this was during the day. I wasn’t feeling well that day so I had decided to sleep it off. I then heard someone walking into my room, and because I’m a light sleeper I had no doubt that this person was in my room. When I opened my eyes I saw my housemate leaving a chocolate on my desk, attempting to do so quietly. She knew that chocolate always makes me feel better, doesn’t matter what the situation is. If my door was locked that day I would have missed out on that chocolate.


Sometimes in locking our doors for security reasons, for locking out the bad stuff, we also lock out the good stuff. The people that just want to come in and drop off a chocolate. People who want to do you good and add value to your life. Opening yourself up, being vulnerable is a hard thing but it is also a beautiful thing. Unlocking your door is not only freeing but it is also a learning opportunity.  Yes, there’ll be the occasional person that comes to disrupt your peace but in keeping the bad out we don’t realise that the good we’re keeping out might outweigh the bad.

We think that locking our doors is for our protection. But the goodness that we crave is also on the other side of the door. By locking out the bad people, we also lock out the good people. The same can be said for the armour that we wear on a daily basis. Did you know that Goliath’s armour weighed about 57 kilograms, his spear weighed about 7 kilograms and someone else had to carry his shield?! Sometimes you put on armour to protect yourself, but it’s weighing you down. Every day you are missing out on interactions, conversations and opportunities to get to know people intimately.


So I want to challenge you today and ask you about the doors that you have locked. What were you keeping out when you initially locked that door and how is that working out for you? Feel free to leave a comment below. 


I am an Occupational Therapist by profession, but I have many roles that bring meaning to my life. In short, I love people, books and love.

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