I have lost count of the times I have seen the film The Wizard of Oz. I always make a point of watching it whenever it is on TV and it is possibly one of my favourite children's film of all time. It is hard to believe this very popular film reached its 80th Anniversary just a few weeks ago!
What I love about this film, are the lovable, yet flawed characters that Dorothy meets along the way to the Emerald City. Neither the Scarecrow, the Tinman or the Lion are perfect, and they begin the film very aware of the weaknesses in their characters. However, as the film progresses, we see that each of them has strengths where they thought they had weaknesses, and they demonstrate that to themselves in different situations along the story.
The Scarecrow is hoping to get a brain from the Wizard. At the start of the film, it is clear he is very ill-suited to his job of scaring the crows away. When Dorothy helps him down from the peg, we start to see the Scarecrow's real strengths shining though. His kindness in helping Dorothy, his empathy and the great leadership skills he demonstrates by taking charge of the rescue operation to save Dorothy form that Wicked Witch!
The Tin Man is hoping to ask the Wizard for a heart. Yet at even the sight of someone in pain or experiencing suffering, it makes him weep and rust solid. He shows love and compassion for his friends by putting their needs before his own before they even reach The Wizard.
The Cowardly Lion is looking to get (all together now) courage! Here is a character who, from the very beginning, is conflicted on whether he should be afraid! He knows that as a lion, he shouldn’t be, but his common sense tells him that danger is ahead and it is right to be cautious. “I’m even afraid of myself” he says. Our poor lion is doing what some of us are all guilty of, creating a vortex of self-defeating thoughts that ensures we grossly under estimate our abilities and strengths. He finally learns that courage is not the absence of fear, but it is about having the ability to control it.
Much like the three characters in the Wizard of Oz, sometimes it takes a change of circumstances and help from the people around us to notice the strengths we have. If we have the circumstances but not the people, we may struggle to see what we can do and if we have the people but not the circumstances, it can be very hard to believe what they say!
Cherry Tree Counselling provides support for those seeking a career change or wanting to explore their strengths in their work or personal lives. Counselling can help people reflect and help them identify how and when to initiate circumstances to prove themselves. If this is something you would like to explore, then contact Kate for your free 15-minute phone consultation.
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