“Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn’t already have.”

“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others”

― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

“You have plenty of courage, I am sure," answered Oz. "All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.”

― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Books of Wonder)

Maybe, like many of you, I enjoy listening to music as I drive my car from place to place.  I have a wide variety of songs stored in my phone, everything from Rihanna to Frank Sinatra.  I like to sing while I drive and it amazes me at how many lyrics I know by memory.

Some of the ones that I know by heart are old songs from my childhood and at times these stir the deepest emotions.  Songs can bring up memories of people, places and things that were connected to that time.  Songs can make me laugh.  Songs can make me cry.  In fact, I have created a list of songs that are entitled, “My Crying Songs” (I’ll share that list with you another time).  There are some songs that I dislike because of the situation it reminds me of. 

Yesterday, as I was stuck in traffic, the song “Tin Man” by America came one and a line from the song made me take pause. 

“Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn’t already have.”

That is the story, isn’t it?  The story of all the main characters of the Wizard of Oz; Dorothy, the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man.  They all wanted something, something that they felt they were lacking inside themselves.  The Lion wanted courage yet he proved over and over that he was the most courageous one of them all.  The Scarecrow wanted the Wizard to give him a brain while during their adventures he repeatedly solves the group’s problems.  The Tin Man wants a heart but is the kindest and most feeling character in the story.  Dorothy wants to go “somewhere over the rainbow” or “to a place where I won’t get into trouble” and yet when she does, she realizes that ‘her hearts desire is in her own backyard and that if it isn’t there, she never really had it to begin with.’

We can all learn something from this story by Frank Baum.  We all have what we need INSIDE of us.  The Universe has supplied us with everything.  We lack nothing.  Some of us just need an adventure like Dorothy had in order to remind ourselves that this is the truth.  And many a time, that is what life gives us, that adventure, that drama and we have to weave our way down the yellow brick road, encounter a witch or two to find out that we are right where we are suppose to be.  We have everything that we think we lack.  Trust in the Universe, in your Higher Power, in God. 

Today, say a prayer and ask the Universe to release you from your negative thoughts and into the positive, abundance- filled thinking that will bring you closer to all that is.  This is your authentic self, this is your true path.  Ask: “When I become confused, frustrated or when I start going down that yellow brick road, please bring me back, show me YOUR way, let me trust You and know that I lack nothing.”

Remember "There's no place like home."

Namaste.