Setting My Intention

Clearing Clutter. Finding Joy. Living Slow

  • Home
    • Privacy and Cookie Policy
    • Disclosure
  • New? Start Here!
  • Work With Me
    • Affiliates
  • At Home
    • Decluttering Your Home
    • Meal Planning
      • Recipe
    • Organizing
  • In Relationships
    • Motherhood
    • Family
    • Self Care
  • In Life
    • Blogging
    • Budgeting
    • Fitness
    • Goals
    • Slow Living
  • FREE Resources
    • Top 10 Blogging Resources
    • FREE Meal Planning Printables
    • FREE 10 Step Decluttering Process
  • SHOP
    • Terms and Conditions
You are here: Home / In Relationships / Community / The Secret to Success in The Wizard of Oz

July 20, 2016 by Angela

The Secret to Success in The Wizard of Oz

“At first the Witch was tempted to run away from Dorothy; but she happened to look into the child’s eyes and saw how simple the soul behind them was, and that the little girl did not know of the wonderful power the Silver Shoes gave her. So the Wicked Witch laughed to herself, and thought, “I can still make her my slave, for she does not know how to use her power.”
The Wizard of Oz, p. 145

The secret to success in The Wizard of Oz

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase. Thank you for your support in this way!

My youngest son and I just finished reading The Wizard of Oz together. I’ve been struck by so many profound things from the story while reading it again after many years.

  • Dorothy wants to go back home to Kansas.
  • The Scarecrow seeks brains.
  • The Tin Woodman wants a heart.
  • The Lion wants courage.

As they journey along to the Emerald City in order to ask Oz for these things, we see them clearly showing signs of the things that they seek:

  • The Scarecrow is the one that comes up with the clever solutions for all of their predicaments.
  • The Tin Woodman weeps at killing a beetle and has a tender heart towards all living things.
  • The Lion shows courage in jumping over large gulfs and swimming in rushing rivers for the sake of his fellow travelers.

Negative Statements – are they True?

The story has me thinking about the two things:

  1. What are the “lacking” statements that I tell myself about myself?
  2. What are the “enough” statements that I need to tell myself instead?

Dorothy and her comrades are looking to others for solutions that they already possess within themselves (or on their feet!) – they just don’t recognize it.

They have told themselves that:

  • “I don’t know anything. You see, I am stuffed, so I have no brains at all.”
  • “No one can love that has no heart”
  • “I suppose I was born that way”

Affirmations

I’ve listened to some interviews from Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning.  One of the parts of the miracle morning is affirmations.

In the past I’ve felt skeptical about affirmations. I’ve never practiced affirmations because it felt unnatural or uncomfortable. Re-reading this book, however, has reminded me that we often have negative tapes running through our minds that we need to consciously reject in order to get what we want in life. We often can’t see that we are already intelligent, loving, courageous, or fill in the blank. The secret to success often already lies within us, waiting to be recognized and affirmed.

Here’s a great list of 35 Affirmations That Will Change Your Life. I’ve found a few that really resonated with me. It would also be very easy to modify or write your own depending on what you need to be affirming in your life. This list can help get you started.

What are the statements that are running through your head, that you may not even be aware of most of the time?

What are the statements that can replace those?

Related

About Angela

Wife. Mom to three boys. Writer. Reader. Aspiring Minimalist. Lover of chocolate and fitness. She loves blogging about the ways she is finding success in simplifying life one step at a time. Her mantra is "Progress, not Perfection."

❮❮ Previous Post
Next Post ❯ ❯

Comments

  1. Christy King says

    July 21, 2016 at 10:19 am

    I’ve never really tried affirmations, but I have worked on catching the negative thoughts that automatically go through my head. Usually I just refuse to continue the thought and change my focus to something else. Not always easy, but highly effective for me.

    • Angela says

      August 1, 2016 at 12:15 pm

      That sounds great Christy. I almost feel like the negative thought habits are SO automatic that they’re hard to catch!

  2. Abby @ WinsteadWandering says

    July 21, 2016 at 11:49 am

    I think this school year I’m going to start keeping a “hype” folder, so I can keep track of the positive messages I receive from students, parents, and coworkers. My own brain doesn’t always do the best job with affirmation, but maybe the words of others will help.

    • Angela says

      August 1, 2016 at 12:17 pm

      That’s a super idea Abby. It’s so easy to reject positive feedback and hold onto the negative. I think writing them down can help them “stick”

  3. Rachel @ Smart Mom Smart Ideas says

    July 31, 2016 at 7:11 am

    Interesting observation from a classic movie. We all need to remember not to place artificial limits on ourselves.

    • Angela says

      August 1, 2016 at 12:09 pm

      Agreed Rachel!

  4. Dara says

    August 2, 2016 at 9:26 pm

    Hearts for Wizard of Oz! I am my own worst critic (isn’t everyone), but I try to curb negative thinking. Also, I don’t let myself worry too much. I have a rule: when I find myself worrying about something, I stop and ask “can I do anything about this ___?” If the answer is no, then it is done. I put it out of my head and if it comes to pass then so be it. If the answer is yes, then I brainstorm the ways I can fix/help/stop the problem, and then actively do something about it instead of worrying. It helps me from feeling overwhelmed and having too many of those negative feelings. 🙂

    Stopping by from Monday Madness.

    • Angela says

      August 6, 2016 at 9:42 am

      That’s a great process Dara. It sounds like you have a good system in place to check those limiting beliefs!

Hi Friend! I’m Angela

Welcome to my blog where I write about simplifying life in small, manageable steps and creating healthy habits. You'll find inspiration, practical tips and community here for the decluttering you're doing in your own life. (whether that's physical, mental, or emotional clutter) Thanks so much for stopping by! Read More…

Courtney Carver’s Soulful Simplicity Course

Let’s Connect!

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

How to Start Making Changes in 5 Important Areas

FREE Step by Step Instructions!

You feel overwhelmed by your space and you don't know where to start. Here is a 1 page guide that will walk you step by step through decluttering any space in your home.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Your 1 page "cheatsheet" is on the way!

Top Posts & Pages

  • 7 Steps to Start Hand Lettering
    7 Steps to Start Hand Lettering
  • How to Start Swedish Death Cleaning
    How to Start Swedish Death Cleaning
  • Basement Clutter Tour
    Basement Clutter Tour
  • Basement Clutter Reveal
    Basement Clutter Reveal
  • Lagom: What it is and How to Start Living It
    Lagom: What it is and How to Start Living It

Affiliate Disclosure

This website may include affiliate links. These companies pay a small commission to me for sharing their products and services at no additional cost to you.

Disclosure

All information on this blog is from the author’s experience and is not intended to be professional advice. When using ideas from this blog, readers should use common sense and caution.

Amazon Associates

Setting My Intention participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate ad program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Copyright

Copyright Setting My Intention 2018. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share content from this website with a reference to the website and link back to the original page or post.

 

Copyright 2016 Pretty Chic Theme By: Pretty Darn Cute Design On Genesis Framework