The Wizard of Oz is the ultimate mind-body-spirit story. For those of you not familiar with this classic film, it features several characters in search of the one thing missing in their lives.

For Dorothy, the girl from Kansas, it is her home she is looking for.

For the Scarecrow, it is about finding his brains.

For the Tin Man, it is about moving from being mechanical to finding the heart he so longs for.

For the Lion, the King of the Animal World, it is about locating his courage.

Scarecrow = mind

Tin Man = body

Lion = Spirit

I have always been partial to the Lion who seemed so ashamed of his cowardice. I mean he was afraid of everything. It wasn’t until he embarked on a journey with his friends, battling demons, witches and scary flying monkeys, that he realized he had possessed the courage he yearned for all along.

Today we might think we are a lot like the Tin Man, the mechanical being that identifies more with machines than with man. We may have lost heart in our lives. Even oil won’t grease our engines because what we really need is something completely different. What we need is love.

Or perhaps you feel you have lost your mind, like the Scarecrow looking for his intellect. Our schools build our minds today more than ever. But how do we use those minds? To the betterment of ourselves and others?

Dorothy’s search for home lends a cohesiveness to the triad of mind-body-spirit seekers. She leads the way to the Wizard of Oz who is really a mere mortal behind the curtain. It’s all been a farce. The entire country has been ruled by a phony.

Once the characters find what they are looking for, they are set free. And Dorothy realizes, as she clicks her heels together, that there is no place like home.

Home is where the heart is.

Home is where your spirit, undergirded by your mind, lives.

It is a worthy journey to integrate all three. We cannot live with one without the other two.

Find your courage. It will help you return to your truest home. And that is yourself.