Things I learned from "The Wizard of Oz"

I watched "The Wizard of Oz" last night.

In all it's technicolor glory.

And it occurred to me that there are many lessons that one can learn from it.

These are the ones that are directly applicable to me right now.

1. Sometimes we go looking for something that is already inside of us. The sweetest tin man you will ever meet already had the heart he went looking for. The traits you are searching for are within you already, but you just don't recognize them because they aren't in the shape you expect. Focus on recognizing those traits and magnifying them rather than expecting to find them someday.

2. Life is often gray and boring while your dreams are full of color and sparkle. But that doesn't mean you would rather live in your dreams instead of life. It is fine to go there for a while, to dream big and impossible things. But at the end of the day, you would rather have real life, even when it is the same thing each day. Because that is where you really live, with the people you love.

3. Take courage and jump in when you need to. The cowardly lion did not let his fears overcome him when he needed to help the scarecrow and tin man save Dorothy. He acknowledged the fear, and then with a little help from his friends, he went forward. Don't let your fears cripple you when it comes time to jump in. Just push forward and do your best to conquer what frightens you.

4. Find your yellow brick road, and stick to it. Dorothy decided what she wanted, and where she needed to go and then got on that road and stuck with it. No matter what might try and throw you off the path, keep going and endure to the end. And if you come across a few friends who will help you along the way, all the better.

5. And finally, just for fun. All a girl really needs is a great pair of shoes....