No one said it better than Dorothy when the tin man asks her to reflect upon her lessons in the Land of Oz. She realizes only then, after an

effortful, outward pursuit, “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard, because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.” If it hadn’t been for her experience—confronting her fears and combating her demons—she could not have realized her truth. When her friends are disappointed in themselves for not being able to help Dorothy with this realization, Glinda, the good [and wise] witch explains, “She had to find it out for herself.”

I once opened a fortune cookie that read, “You can’t learn to swim in a field.” Those cookies contain some incredible wisdom! Finding true happiness requires experiencing life beyond your “comfort zone”—following the proverbial yellow brick road and confronting your fears and uncertainties head on. Your strength and wisdom will flourish! Then, and only then, will you return “home”, to what the Buddha called “The Island of Self”, with a deep understanding that life’s real magic lies quietly waiting in a baby’s smile, in a true friend and in a warm cup of tea. In the miracles of your everyday life. The secret, however, is being awakened to their magic.