Believing in Yourself

Lessons from the Wizard of Oz
by Will Craig

Most of us are familiar with the story of Dorothy and the friends she meets on her way to find the Wizard. The Scarecrow who felt he lacked a brain; the Tin Man who didn’t think he had a heart; and the Cowardly Lion who wished he had courage.

The Wizard (a man whose heart was in the right place but whose ethics needed some work) actually exercised some effective coaching skills at the end of the story.

For each of Dorothy’s three friends, he fostered a sense of belief that they, indeed, had those things they sought so desperately. He convinced the Scarecrow he was smart by giving him a diploma. The Tin Woodsman received his gift from the Wizard and knew he now had a heart because it was breaking. The Cowardly Lion became instantly courageous when he received his medal for bravery.

Believing In Yourself
When Dorothy saw her friends all get what they wanted she was in firm belief she could certainly have what she wanted. Glynda, the Good Witch, had Dorothy repeat, “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…

Each of them, as it turns out, already had inside of them the answers they were seeking. Ironically, they had the potential and the ability to grant their own desires from the very beginning. The only thing missing was belief.

The beauty of The Wizard of Oz is that we are all able to identify with the characters and their challenges along life’s path. Doesn’t it make you think of the fantastic life you could have if you really believed you could?

Life is a Mirror

We all have learned to look at a photo like this and know, without a doubt, that the trees are not IN the water. It's a bit more difficult to see our life as a reflection of ourselves. It's amazing how different our world becomes once we make an effort to see things in this way.

Look in the mirror.
What's there
is not you,
but an image projected
by the ego.
Like a movie.

Know that,
apply it to
your whole life,
and things will begin
to look different.
Very different.

Better.
Stefan Nadzo

***

Just by being ourselves
we are borne toward a destiny
far beyond anything
we could imagine.
It is enough to know
that the being
I nourish inside me
is the same as the Being
that suffuses every atom
of the cosmos.
When the two
see each other as equals
they will be equal,
because then the same force
that controls the galaxies
will be upholding
my individual existence.

Deepak Chopra

***

We dont see things as they are
We see things as we are.

Anais Nin

Making a Difference

Life is sculpted on a moment-to-moment basis. Every one of the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the actions we take contributes to the complex quality and character of the universe’s unfolding. It simply is not possible to be alive without making an impact on the world that surrounds us. Every action taken affects the whole as greatly as every action not taken. And when it comes to making the world a better place, what we choose not to do can be just as important as what we choose to do.

It is wise to be somewhat selective about how and where we are using our energy in order to keep ourselves from becoming scattered. Not every cause or action is appropriate for every person. When a situation catches our attention, however, and speaks to our heart, it is important that we honor our impulse to help and take the action that feels right for us. It may be offering a kind word to a friend, giving resources to people in need, or just taking responsibility for our own behavior. By doing what we can, when we can, we add positive energy to our world. And sometimes, it may be our one contribution that makes all the difference.

*****

(I have excerpted the above from the Daily OM.) I used to think that I was too busy keeping keeping my own head above water to be of use to anyone else. Then, I discovered the joy in "small action". It was true that I could not manage anything which I then thought of as being significant, but I could take my cart back to the provided rack, I could pick up some wind-blown trash, I could help a turtle with his much too slow journey across the road, and I could give everyone a smile!

The biggest contribution may have been to myself. I found the joy in paying attention, in being in what Eckhart Tolle refers to as The Now. Everything has a beginning, and nothing is ever really "small". Tiny seeds are the beginning of magnificent fruits.

Perception or Truth?

Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune. Carl Jung


When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. Alexander Graham Bell

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens. Carl Jung

Once in a while it really hits people that they don't have to experience the world in the way they have been told to. Alan Keightley

It all depends on how we look at things, and not on how things are in themselves. Carl Jung.

Each of us tends to think we see things as they are, that we are objective. But this is not the case. We see the world, not as it is, but as we are - or, as we are conditioned to see it. Stephen Covey

Magic and Beauty

I have learned silence from the talkative,
tolerance from the intolerant
and kindness from the unkind.
I should not be ungrateful to those teachers.

The appearance of things change according to the emotions,
and thus we see magic and beauty in them,
while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.

You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds long to play with your hair.

You pray in your distress and in your need;
would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy
and in your days of abundance.

Kahlil Gibran

Layers of Feelings

Many people are taught from a young age to suppress feelings commonly regarded as negative, such as anger, resentment, fear, and sorrow. Those who cannot or will not express these emotions tend to engage in passive-aggressive behaviors that provide them with a means of redirecting their feelings.

Passive aggression can take many forms: People who feel guilty saying “no” may continually break their promises because they couldn’t say no when they meant it. Others will substitute snide praise for a slur to distance themselves from the intense emotions they feel. More often than not, such behavior is a cry for help uttered by those in need of compassion and gentle guidance.

When we recognize passive-aggressive patterns in the behavior of others, we should never allow ourselves to be drawn into a struggle for power. Passive aggression is most often wielded by those who feel powerless in the face of what they perceive as negative emotions because they hope to avoid confronting their true feelings. They feel they are in control because they do not display overt emotion and often cannot understand how they have alienated their peers.

If someone close to us shows signs of frustration or annoyance but claims nothing is amiss, we can point out that their tone of voice or gestures are communicating a different message and invite them to confide in us. When we feel slighted by a backhanded compliment, it is important that we calmly explain how the jibe made us feel and why. And when an individual continually breaks their promises, we can help them understand that they are free to say no if they are unwilling to be of service.

As you learn to detect passive aggression, you may be surprised to see a hint of it in yourself. Coping with the natural human tendency to veil intense emotions can be as simple as reminding yourself that expressing your true feelings is healthy. The emotions typically regarded as negative will frequently be those that inspire you to change yourself and your life for the better, whereas passive-aggressive behavior is a means of avoiding change. When you deal constructively with your feelings, you can put them behind you and move forward unencumbered by unexplored emotion. (Daily OM)

***

Yes, that which you resist, persists. Feeling it, recognizing it, and accepting it as the shadow side of yourself, will allow you to begin expressing yourself more immediately and honestly....or, learn to change negativity to more positive thoughts.

Thoughts on Love

We cannot possibly let ourselves get frozen into regarding everyone we do not know as an absolute stranger.
(Albert Schweitzer)

Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love.
(Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

People who respond to you in the only way that they know how. You will find great inner peace when you do not need others to act in a certain way to be happy yourself… When you send someone unconditional love, it is no longer possible for you to be harmed by his or her negative energy. If there is any situation in your life where you are feeling hurt, afraid, or separated from others, begin sending them love and acceptance for who they are. This will heal you and them.
( Sanaya Roman]