Paving Your Own Yellow Brick Road

Success isn’t an absolute term. Define it before you walk down the yellow brick road.

When thinking about the fabled idea of “success”, often a millionaire’s arms jingling with gleaming jewellery and owning a garage bursting with luxury cars is the first thing that comes to mind. However, true success is much richer than this.

“For I consider brains far superior to money in every way. You may have noticed that if one has money without brains, he cannot use it to his advantage; but if one has brains without money, they will enable him to live comfortably to the end of his days.” – The Scarecrow

The dreams you have of somewhere over the rainbow, where skies are blue – your personal picture of success – encompasses defining your strengths to formulate a meaningful, valued goal. Dorothy’s quest to find the Emerald City, and the Wizard who would bestow the wisdom she sought, resulted in the discovery that she herself possessed the answers from the very beginning. Like the comrades she met along the way, The Tin Man, The Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion’s pursuit of external assistance to grant virtues revealed that these strengths lay within them all along – realising this was simply a matter of sincere introspection.

“Home is a place we all must find, child. It’s not just a place where you eat or sleep. Home is knowing. Knowing your mind, knowing your heart, knowing your courage. If we know ourselves, we’re always home, anywhere.” – Glinda the Good Witch

Forging a path for success involves laying each yellow brick with intent. A careful consideration of your meaning and desires to elucidate the journey forward requires truthful decisions and reflection of your outlook. The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch exemplify two extremes of mindset – attitude informs outcomes – so approach each step with positivity. Your direction may shift over time – or you may face adversities that make you realise you’re not in Kansas anymore – but like the tornado that transported Dorothy to Oz, or the pandemic which we now face, the absence of comfort and a safety net gives rise to fresh perspective. Remember to navigate forks in the road with courage, heart and wisdom.

“What makes a king out of a slave? Courage!” – The Cowardly Lion

Exploring your route to success is a deeply personal exercise in self-examination, so find what you love and move towards its radiating warmth. Have courage to wander from the norm as there is no prescribed success for us all and remember that comparison is the thief of joy – you only have your own yesterday to measure progress against, not the success of others. If you’ve donned your ruby slippers to walk in the direction of your true desire, you can never go astray.

“If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with!” – Dorothy