So I’ve been on this old childhood movie kick lately and last night I watched the Wizard of Oz.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched this movie, but this time I decided to watch it from a “grown-up” perspective.

As the storyline goes, four strangers meet and set out on an adventure with a dog to be granted things they were wishing for, but already possessed.

The Scarecrow wanted brains, but throught the movie used common sense and ingenuity to get everyone out of various situations.  The Tin Man wanted a heart but displayed sincere care and compassion to all.  The Cowardly Lion put himself in harms way when Dorothy was captured by the Wicked Witch.  And Dorothy?  Well, she just wanted to go home and she was home the entire time – she just didn’t know because of a little bump on the head.

“I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it”.  This is one of my favorite quotes from Alice In Wonderland.  It is a very special quote because it rings true in several areas of my life.

As a therapist I don’t really give advice.  I like to think that I work as a guide to help people discover positive solutions and make the best decisions for themselves.  My motto is to “help people help themselves”.  Sometimes I think it would be nice if I could help me help myself.

I recently read Alice in Wonderland again, and afterwards watched the Disney version of the movie.  If you’ve never watched it, I would suggest it.  If you can move past the drug references in the movie including the hookah-smoking Caterpillar, Alice eating mushrooms and chasing the White Rabbit, and what many would describe as psychedelic trips – there are quite a few lessons to be learned.   Here are my favorites.

My life is pretty chaotic.  It’s the good kind of chaos, but chaotic nonetheless.  A few monts ago I noticed that I’d been a little more stressed than usual and sharted this with a colleague.  She suggested that I try meditating.

MEDITATE?  I almost laughed out loud.  Let’s be honest, I think my brain suffers from what I like to call “I can’t shut down syndrome”.  I’d tried meditation before and it was an epic fail.  I found myself picturing peaceful scenes only to be interrupted by my own random thoughts.  I moved on to mantras that turned into thoughts ranging from what i was going to make for dinner to is it possible to count my eyelashes!  Meditation was not for me, or so I believed

I am back from a small hiatus.  It wasn’t a planned hiatus – life just happened.  Trust me, when it happened it happened up, down, around, and all over me.  Have you ever had one those days, weeks, or months when those “life happens” moments just keep coming – one after another, after another, after another?  Within a few weeks I had some health issues, some frustrations, computer issues, some disappointments, along with some genuine “are you serious?” moments.

I have to admit, I temporarily lost my focus.  All of those postive things I live by and write about went right out the window.  Then I remembered that when the going gets tough, the tough get going.