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Retirement Sentiments."Follow The Yellow Brick Road."If you came to me looking for directions to the Emerald City, and I told you to follow the Yellow Brick Road, you would know that you were off to See the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of OZ!  And soon we might talk of the memorable characters you would meet along the way.
Dorothy and Toto (“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”) The brainless Scarecrow, the heartless Tin Man and the cowardly Lion. The Wicked Witch of the West, the Good Witch of the North and the Wonderful Wizard of OZ.
And you won’t forget the shy, friendly Munchkins or the evil Winged Monkeys. Well, I’m no Wizard, though I do live in the Emerald Isle. I would like to tell you why I have included this story on www.retirement-stories.com - apart from the fact that it is one of my favourite stories. The opening title on the 1939 film states: “For nearly forty years this story has given faithful service to the Young in Heart, and time has been powerless to put its kindly philosophy out of fashion.” And so I dedicate this website to all Retirees who are Young in Heart. I have already stated elsewhere that retirement represents one of life’s most difficult transitions. In transition we will often ask ourselves - will I be good enough? Have I got the resources I need for the new situation? We know, that like Dorothy, you will meet obstacles along the way to your “heart’s desire”... retirement financial planning, retirement lifestyle planning, best retirement locations and you may wonder if you need a “Wizard” (retirement coaching).  When Dorothy and her three companions finally got to meet the Wizard - after a perilous journey - he promised that he would grant their wishes, but with one condition - they must first perform a task to test for the qualities that they believed they lacked.
The Scarecrow didn’t have a brain, the Tin Man didn’t have a heart, the Lion lacked courage, and Dorothy didn’t know that her magic ruby slippers could get her home to Kansas. He tasked them to bring back the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West. They set out through the Haunted Forest. Dorothy is captured by the army of bluish ugly winged monkeys and brought to the Witch’s castle, where she feels in great danger. During the successful rescue attempt, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion each display the qualities they seek -ingenuity, compassion and courage. The Wizard turned out to be an “ordinary” man - an “impostor!” He couldn’t give them brains, compassion and courage, but he could help them change their self-limiting beliefs. He set them a task to demonstrate to themselves that they already had the resources they needed. The antagonist was not the wicked witch with her winged monkeys and spells, but the forces within their own minds. In raising their self awareness, the Wizard changed their beliefs and changed their lives.  If you are approaching retirement, or already there, do you have a dream about what lies “Over the Rainbow?” Is there something about yourself that you want to change or improve?
And the “kindly philosophy” referred to in the opening title? In Dorothy’s words -
“Well, I think that it wasn’t enough just to want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie EM, and if I ever go looking for my hearts 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. Is that right?” Stay in touch and subscribe to my monthly email newsletter, "Retirement Stories". It is full of new stories and tips on planning for and enjoying an active retirement. Subscribe Now.. Back from Retirement Stories: Follow The Yellow Brick Road to Retirement Sentiments Back from The Road not Taken to Retirement Planning |
Recently Added StoriesAlso - Go to Retirement Sentiments - where you will find a full index of stories available on retirement-stories.com. The Bucket List: It's About Time! - You may have seen the movie "The Bucket List" - DO YOU have a Bucket List? ... Retirement? Never! - I love the sentiments expressed in this prize-winning Toastmasters' Speech ... About Butler - That last day at work ... after "About Schmidt" - the Jack Nicholson movie ... this funny and moving story takes a sobering look at retirement... Follow The Yellow Brick Road - In your transition to retirement, you may wonder if you have the resources you need for the new situation. The Wizard of OZ reminds you that sometimes you need look no further than your own backyard... The Road Not Taken - When you come to a fork in the road, how do you decide which way to go?.. The Mountain Kings of Africa - If you’re looking for retirement ideas, you might try an adventure holiday... Let's Go- “Do something you would LOVE to do, really WANT to do.” This was one of my prize winning Toastmasters speeches. I was 50 at the time of the adventure it describes... Christmas Eve, 1954 - Sometimes, we retirees get nostalgic as we look back with happiness and gratitude at “the way we were”. Many of the older “Baby Boomers” will have their own version of this story... Circle - One of the challenges you may face in mid-life is supporting aging parent(s). This story also deals with assisted living and senior living communities. .. Vocation - In this story, a teacher reflects on the disparity between the dreams he had for his career, and what he feels he has achieved. He is heartened by thoughts of small pleasures and triumphs... Life is beautiful - A philosophical, and sometimes humorous, reflection on the mid- life transition. This is a phase when thoughts of major change or early retirement might first surface.... Trudy - This is a story about one of my best friends, and learning to let go with dignity, humanity and gratitude. Retirement is a time to let go of former colleagues and roles and begin again... Going back - “I knew then why I had come back...to discover how I had changed"... Peter the Great. - Prepare to be surprised and entertained as you enter the curious world of stage hypnotism-but this is also a story about the roles we play and the choices we make... Transitions - We experience many changes and cross many thresholds in life. We leave school, leave home, change jobs, get married, parents die, we retire…in all those cases we are faced with the need to give up one way of life and begin another... This is the theme of my story... Go to Retirement Sentiments - where you will find a full index of stories available on retirement-stories.com. |
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