Now Which Way Do We Go?

When Dorothy begins her journey down the Yellow Brick Road she only knows to follow it and that it will ultimately lead her to the Emerald City. She is not too far along before she learns that following the Yellow Brick Road is not so cut and dry. It spans out in different directions leaving her to ask, “Now which way do we go?”

This is a question we have all asked; many times, over and over again. We have a goal in mind, we know where we want to end up, but we are just unsure as to which way to go or which road to take to get there. What is most intriguing in this scene is how Dorothy does not ask her question; she does not ask which way we should go, just simply, “which way do we go?”. It is the non-use of the word should that brings to us a subtle, yet important lesson. And this is that we need to be done with the shoulds. Let them go, we don’t need them.

It is in this same scene that Dorothy meets the Scarecrow. He shares with Dorothy that he does not have a brain. Dorothy wants to know how he can talk without a brain, he is not sure, but he does acknowledge that “some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t they?” In other words, those that have never stood in our shoes, who lack empathy for what we are experiencing, who are opinionated about what we should or should not do are sometimes quick with advice. Their advice, however, can ultimately create even more pain and angst for us; leading us astray and off our goal.

You need do nothing more than thank them for their advice, then move on. Realize that they are judging you and are operating from limited perspectives and belief systems that blind them from seeing the fullness of your situation. Also be aware that they have their own fears around what is going on with you. These fears may range from their not wishing for you to make the same mistakes they did, to their not wishing for you to be able to do what they could not do. Either way, it is an ego-ic perspective, and it does not travel well on the Yellow Brick Road.

Support groups can be helpful as they are made up of people who have been there and have a common ground from which to launch their advice. But be careful and be aware of the actual intent of the support group. If the support group is supporting wallowing in the pain - stay away! But if they support growth and transcendence beyond the pain they could be a great resource for us as we journey down our Yellow Brick Road.

In the end, when it comes to deciding which way to go, it is best for us to make up our own mind. And to do this through feeling. The question is “What feels right for me at this time?”. Be aware of your feelings, and make sure that you are not taking on another’s feelings. This is not about what others feel, what looks right, what is acceptable to those around you, or what everyone else thinks you should do? This is about your authentic feelings, based in your truth.

Write down all your shoulds on a piece of paper and burn it at the next full moon (which as of this writing is tomorrow 9/23/10). The full moon is a time of release, and it is now time to release the shoulds. Also, write the word “authentic” at the top of a piece of paper and, without judgment, write down your authentic feelings. Allow this exercise to bring you to your truths and help you to clearly choose which way to go. These insights will help you to be in touch with your authenticity; when we are authentic we always know which way to go.