Emeralds
of Oz
Life Lessons from Over the Rainbow
I was in New York one day, meeting with a publisher about a new project, when I had an epiphany. I was looking at an image of Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, in her blue-and-white checked gingham frock on the jacket of The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion, when it struck me: The wisdom I had accumulated over a lifetime of working with so many brilliant people was right there all along – in a film I’d watched as a child. Inspired by this flash of knowledge, I spent the next five years on a deep dive into the most watched film of all time, searching for insights to enrich our daily lives. The result? My first book, Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons from Over the Rainbow, published by HarperCollins in May 2019. In it, I invite my readers to use the Emeralds of Wisdom as a tool to both address problems as they arise and as a form of daily meditation. When I apply the Emeralds to my own issues, the effect is magical. Feelings of helplessness give way to an awareness of personal power; fear is replaced by equanimity; and the illusion of not being enough is dispelled by the truth that we’ve already got everything we need.
Buy the Book
The Nine Emeralds of Wisdom
In the book, along with smaller insights, you’ll come across some larger gems that I’ve identified as Emeralds of Wisdom. They are applicable to any obstacle, large or small. A quick scan of these collected emeralds activates the inner powers Dorothy discovered, easing your way on your own Hero’s Journey.
1. Listen to your longing.
Think Dorothy singing “Over the Rainbow.”
2. See the world as if for the first time.
Think Dorothy stepping out of the farmhouse into the Technicolor miracle of Oz.
3. Celebrate yourself – and others – for showing up.
Think Dorothy surrounded by ecstatic Munchkins after her farmhouse lands on the Witch of the East.
4. Choose compassion.
Think Dorothy as she meets the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion.
5. You already possess what you desire most.
Think about the Scarecrow’s brains, the Tin Man’s emotions, and the Cowardly Lion’s courage.
6. Face what you fear.
Think Dorothy throwing a bucket of water on the Witch of the West.
7. Pull back the curtain and see things as they really are.
Think Toto in the Wizard’s palace, revealing the man behind the curtain.
8. You’ve got the power, and you’ve had it all along.
Think Glinda’s final intervention on Dorothy’s behalf, just when she’s giving up hope of ever returning to Kansas.
9. There’s no place like home.
Think Dorothy clicking the heels of the Ruby Slippers three times.
Apply the Emeralds to Your Life
Worksheet
Describe a particular issue you’re facing, and then run through the Emeralds circuit.
Postcard
A handy resource for remembering all of the Emeralds, in order.
Excerpt
Read the first several pages of Emeralds of Oz.