It's Who You Know, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 8Choose who, what and why

In the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, a quiet country girl, and her best friend Toto the dog are transported by a tornado from their home in Kansas to the Land of Oz. Their dream, their goal in the story, is simply to return home, so they ‘follow the yellow brick road' to the Emerald City to find the wizard who can make any wish come true.

Along the way they meet the Scarecrow, who believes everything would be perfect ‘if only he had a brain', the Tin Man, who wants a heart, and the Cowardly Lion, who thinks life would be sorted if he only had courage.

When our band of adventurers (note that with Dorothy, they form their Core Four) finally arrives at the Emerald City after fighting off the Wicked Witch of the West, they are grateful to be granted a meeting with the wizard. Until, that is, they discover that he is in no way magical, but merely a wise old man. Still, the fake wizard delivers on his promise, if not in the way they had expected: he gives the Scarecrow a diploma, the Tin Man a heart-shaped ticking clock, the Lion a medal for courage, and Dorothy a chance to fly home in his hot-air balloon.

So what's the point of sharing this story?

As we make our way along our personal yellow brick road, our own journey, we constantly make excuses for what we lack. ‘If only' is the catch-cry that holds us back from our dreams. Actually ...