The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a beloved children's book that has been in circulation for almost 120 years. However, it goes beyond lessons suited just for children, and provides valuable lessons that people of all ages may learn from.
The story goes that a young girl from Kansas named Dorothy gets swept away by a cyclone with her dog Toto, and travels to a wonderful land that had been unbeknownst to her. Desperate to find a way back to Kansas and her family therein, she seeks a great wizard named Oz in hopes that he will help her find her way. Along the way she meets and rescues a brainless Scarecrow, and he tags along as her companion. Then they meet a Tin Woodman without a heart, and after rescuing him, he joins the party as well. Finally, they meet a cowardly Lion who seeks courage, and joins the strange party on their way.
Through the course of their adventures, these companions must overcome many obstacles, and each member of the party is imperative to the well-being of the group and the progress of the trip to the Emerald City to see the Wizard. Each of them yearns for what they are seeking - a brain, a heart, courage, and a way back home - and each of them is sure their lives will improve greatly if only they had what they were missing. Many times the success of the endeavors is compromised, but each time, the party pulls through. While the Scarecrow lacks brains, he often sees things from a perspective that the others can't, therefore providing crucial input and solving problems that otherwise seemed unmanageable. Whereas the Tin Woodman lacks a heart, he feels an abundance of empathy for other creatures, and does everything in his power to make sure no harm is done to those who are innocent and those who are good, defending creatures that need his help and seeking security for everyone. While the lion seeks courage, many times he does brave things that no one else could have done to benefit the party, such as jumping over a treacherous ravine with everyone on his back as it was the only way to get across.
When they get to Oz and discover the "Great and Terrible Wizard" is just an average human being, each member of the party is bitterly disappointed. However, Oz constructs a fake brain, a fake heart, and fake courage out of materials, and puts them into the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion which leads them to believe they were each given the real thing. Afterward, they all act as if they were given a fresh start because of these things - little did they know, what they had been seeking was within them along. Everything they thought they needed to change their lives, came from within them.
Finally, Dorothy learned that the silver shoes she had been gifted when she first got to the strange land were enchanted, and could carry her home. The whole time she had been on splendid adventures with her new friends, what she needed to get what she wanted was with her. However, she learns that she is grateful to be with them in their endeavors, and learned a lot herself.
Brains. Heart. Courage. All of these characteristics are what make us human. Each of these traits are bred inside of us, and can be tapped into at anytime if only we have the will. All that you need to change your life and your perspective on it is already within you, it's about believing in yourself and the notion that you can do anything you put your mind to. Sometimes it takes a magnificent adventure and strange, marvelous, new companions to bring it out of you, but sometimes its with you all along, unbeknownst to you.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a timeless, remarkable story that anyone from anywhere of any age can relate to. All that you need to change your life and the world around you is inside of you already. It just takes a little magic in believing in yourself to bring it out sometimes.
