If I Only Had A…

wizard-of-oz

How would you complete that sentence? 

I recently enjoyed a local production of The Wizard of Oz.  (Side note: please take advantage of your local high school’s theater productions; they are fabulous and the students need your support!)  You might recall that the Scarecrow sang, “If I only had a brain…,” the Tin Man sang, “If I only had a heart…,”  and the Cowardly Lion sang, “If I only had the nerve…”  Their songs are pretty woeful as they certainly feel sorry for themselves and their plights.  Life would be so much better if they only had a…

Dorothy, on the other hand, is on a mission.

She has a clear goal.  She wants to get back home to Kansas.  However, she knows that she can’t do it herself.  She needs the help of the famous Wizard of Oz.  So, she starts the journey to get it.  Along the way, she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion.  Does she walk right past them?  Does she ignore their need?  No.  Instead, she builds a team, convincing them to come along to Oz.  Traveling together might be better than traveling alone.  And, if the Wizard can help Dorothy, then surely he can help them all!

We also know that the road is not smooth.  There is evil lurking in the forest and in the poppy field.  The Wicked Witch is out to prevent Dorothy from meeting her goal and throws numerous challenges her way to try and stop her.  The witch recruits her partners, the flying monkeys, to help sabotage Dorothy’s mission, too.

Can you relate this story to everyday life?  Do you have a goal?  Are you focused on meeting it?  Like Dorothy, do you know what you need to do?  Are you staying the course?

Or, are you more like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion?  Do you spend time saying, “If I only had…”  (more time, a larger staff, a degree, less stress, a clearer vision, etc.)  Are you using your energy to feel sorry for yourself or to push forward?

How do you handle the things or events that get in your way?  Do you tackle them one at a time and continue to head towards your goal, or do you allow them to stop you in your tracks?

Are you following your Yellow Brick Road to your Oz?

Image Source Warner Bros

L2L Contributing Author

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