“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
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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:
- What are the “lacking” statements that I tell myself about myself?
- 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?
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.
That sounds great Christy. I almost feel like the negative thought habits are SO automatic that they’re hard to catch!
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.
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”
Interesting observation from a classic movie. We all need to remember not to place artificial limits on ourselves.
Agreed Rachel!
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.
That’s a great process Dara. It sounds like you have a good system in place to check those limiting beliefs!