Below is the article from which this discussion presentation was made:
In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, we see a plot of a young woman, a Straw man, a Tin man and a Lion. A young woman trying to get home, a Straw man who is in search of a brain, a Tin man who is in search of a heart and a Lion who is in search of courage.
Their Journey into the World of Oz
As their journey unfolds and they come before the great and mighty Oz, the truth is revealed. The Scarecrow has plenty of smarts, the Tin woodman has a big heart to love and care for others and the Cowardly Lion has plenty of courage.
The Scarecrow, the Tin man and the Cowardly Lion just needed Oz to confirm and validate those realities. Like Dorothy, who always had the power to get home, they always had the power that they searched to receive in land of Oz.
As you listen to and or read this presentation may I encourage to embrace your power. The power that you already have residing in you to create hope and dreams in your life, one day at a time.
Like Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion
Living with the impact of a brain injury — visible or invisible — can leave you and I feeling. Feeling unimportant, less than, ineffective, ineffectual, weak, feeble, and useless…
Like we have lost our smarts. That we don’t have the ability to love and care for others. That we don’t have the necessary courage to excel in our lives. That we are lost and can’t find a way.
Feeling as though our lives and our efforts do not matter.
“The most common way people give away their power is by thinking that they have any.” Alice Walker
“Persistence and resilience only come through having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” Gever Tulley
“Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending.” Carl Bard
But that is Not Our Reality
“Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it.” Zig Ziglar
“Create your own unique visual style. Make it unique to yourself and yet identifiable or others.” Orson Wells
“Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Albert Einstein
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear.” Ambrose Redmon
“Ideas do not always come in a flash but by diligent trial-and-error experiments that take time and thought.” Charles K. Kao
And I have Good News
We already have the power that we are searching to have confirmed and validated. The reality is that we are powerful beyond measure. Powerful beyond measure because of what is in each of us to be expressed.
“Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless and add specifically your own creation.” Bruce Lee
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure, it is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine as children do. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our own light to shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same, as we are liberated from our own fear. Our presence automatically liberates others. Sir, I just want to say thank you. You saved my life.” From the movie, Coach Carter. Quote attributed to Marianne Williamson
Learn from Other People, but Be Aware
We may have individuals in our lives who reinforce the feelings of being less than, ineffective, weak, feeble, useless, worthless and futile.
These individuals may lead you and me to believe that without their “special knowledge” we will not amount to much in our lives.
We may also have individuals in our lives; who despite all we have achieved, (beyond all reasonable expectations despite obstacles and adversity) still discourage. Discourage through minimizing, marginalizing, discounting and dismissing who we are and what we have to contribute.
But their opinions no longer have to limit us
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” Steve Jobs
But We Don’t Have to Shrink Back
As a result — of the individuals who in practice minimize, marginalize, dismiss, discount and by their actions patronize who we are as individuals — we may find ourselves shrinking back. We may find ourselves being lulled into believing that our voice and who we are as individuals really does not matter.
That we cannot do anything to beyond accepting the limitations of a brain injuries
We may have people in our lives who communicate to us (overtly and covertly) that their opinions, not ours; matter. As a result, we may find ourselves discouraged from listening to our inner voice, our intuition and our heart. As a result, we may have since paid little attention to our inner voice. We may have lost ourselves.
“Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, ‘This is the real me,’ and when you have found that attitude, follow it.” William James
Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz
We may be led to believe like Dorothy that we cannot trust ourselves. Like the Scarecrow that we cannot reason things out. Like the Tin Man that we do not have smarts and intuition. Like the Cowardly Lion that we don’t have the courage to find out what works best for us.
“You are the only person on Earth who can use your ability.” Zig Ziglar
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear.” Ambrose Redmon
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned, so as to have the one that is waiting for us.” E.M. Foster
Trading Our Judgment and Trust
As a result, we may have traded our judgment for the judgment of other people. As a result, we may have a difficult time trusting ourselves, a loving God and our process. As a result, we may have been led to believe that we are not enough and that good is not in our future.
“If you want to improve your self-worth, stop giving other people the calculator.” Tim Fargo
But who we are and chose to become is not the judgment of anyone.
What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” Zig Ziglar
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Rob Siltanen
But there is Good News
We can trade a lie for the truth. We are enough. Our inner voice, intuition, and heart motivation do matter. Our inner voice, intuition, and heart motivation will guide us. We can trust ourselves and how we feel led, over the opinions of other people. We can trust the process, a loving God and ourselves through what is being revealed to us.
“Believe in yourself, go after your dreams, and don’t let anyone put you in a box.” Daya
We can trust a loving God to lead and guide us each day. We don’t have to figure things out on our own. We can move through the process, one day at a time. We can trust that more will be revealed to us.
Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s OK. You’re here to live your life, not to make everyone understand.” Banksy
We can ask for help and then follow our inner voice, our heart and our intuition. We can replace other people’s judgment (what is best for us) with our judgment (what is best for us), We can ask loving God to guide us along our journey.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, to learn more, to do more, to become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams
And as we are led, we can trust that our light will shine in the darkness. That our presence will liberate other people. And that our being, by being who we are, not who other people may want us to believe; will give people the courage to carry on with their lives.
“You may be the only person left who believes in you, but it’s enough. It just takes one star to pierce a universe of darkness. Never give up.” Richelle E. Goodrich
Through our example, they will, in turn, let their light to shine in, darkness. Through our example, they will, in turn, liberate others.
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always to that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Mark Twain
And through our example (by being who we are, not what other people may want us to believe about ourselves) we will give other people the motivation to achieve far beyond all reasonable expectations.
Some Quotes that Inspire Me to Own my Power
“Big things have small beginnings.” Prometheus
Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, it’s very hard
“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” Babe Ruth
“All things start out as hopes that end up as habits.” Lillian Hellman
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” Lao Tzu
“I will prepare and someday my chance will come.” Abraham Lincoln
“You are the only person on Earth who can use your ability.” Zig Ziglar
“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” Auguste Rodin
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt
“I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison
“Don’t give up at half time. Concentrate on winning the second half.” Bear Bryant
“Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” Guy Finley
“All life is an experiment. The more experiments the better.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Hope is being able to see that there is light, despite all the darkness.” Desmond Tutu
“It is not that I am so smart. It is just that I stay with problems longer.” Albert Einstein
“Believe in yourself, go after your dreams, and don’t let anyone put you in a box.” Daya
“If you want to improve your self-worth, stop giving other people the calculator.” Tim Fargo
“Confidence is going after Moby Dick (whale) in a row boat and taking tartar sauce.” Zig Ziglar
“When setting out on a journey, do not see the advice of someone who has never left home.” Rumi
“Don’t judge your day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” Robert Louis Stevenson
“The most common way people give away their power is by thinking that they have any.” Alice Walker
“Decision is the spark that ignites action. Until a decision is made, nothing happens.” Wilfred A. Peterson
“Those who danced were considered to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.” Angela Monet
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The three most important ways to lead people are:… by example… by example… by example.” Albert Schweitzer
“Our circumstances are not meant to keep us down, but they are meant to build us up.” Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA
“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” John Salk
“In my experience, I have found that adversity is what has made me successful because I refused to give up because of adversity.” Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, to learn more, to do more, to become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, “I used everything you game me.” Emma Bombeck
“Once we start walking, before long we will be able to look back and see how far we have come because we did not give up.” Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA
“Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Albert Einstein
“Ideas do not always come in a flash but by diligent trial-and-error experiments that take time and thought.” Charles K. Kao
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear.” Ambrose Redmon
“Persistence and resilience only come through having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” Gever Tulley
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always to that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Mark Twain
“If you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavor to live the life that you have imagined…you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau
“Purpose is about a process and a journey, not a destination. I cannot know until I know and knowing just takes what it takes. There are no silver bullets or magic potions. By accepting that reality, I am given the gift of knowing. I am given the gift of knowing by trusting the process, a loving God and myself.” Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA
“Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending.” Carl Bard
“Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s OK. You’re here to live your life, not to make everyone understand.” Banksy
“History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.” B.C. Forbes
“Insist on yourself, never imitate. Your own gift you can present with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation, but of the adopted talent of another, you only have an extemporaneous half-possession. Do that which is assigned to you and you cannot hope too much or dare too much.” Henry David Thoreau
“I was told over and over again that I would never be successful. That I was not going to be competitive. And the technique was simply not going to work. All I could do is shrug and say, “We’ll just have to see.” Dick Fosbury (Inventor of the Fosbury Flop and winner of the gold medal in the Olympics
“Don’t quit. Never give up trying to build the world you can see, even if others can’ see it. Listen to your own drum and your own drum only. It is the one that makes the sweetest sound.” Simon Sineck
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Steve Job
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