Are We Living in a Modern Day “The Wizard of Oz”?
The other day I had an epiphany, we are living in a modern day, The Wizard of Oz.
Let me paint a picture, binging to life the modern day, The Wizard of Oz we are all a part of every single day.
Social media in all it’s forms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and whatever other means of picture and status sharing is the Land Of Oz, the magical Land of Oz. A land which the majority of the population is trapped in, whether by choice or social stigma, the Land of Oz has a sense of intrigue from the young to the old!
The question is not “Are you in trapped in Oz?”but “Who are you in Oz?”
Are you Dorothy looking for a home, a sense of belonging?
Does Oz offer a sense of companionship, understanding, comfort, belonging that washes away the overwhelming sense of loneliness that you feel when you aren’t plugged in?
Or are you the Cowardly Lion looking for courage?
Are you battling something that you believe “no one understands” or maybe you are an introvert that finds the interaction on social media to be the equivalent of social interaction or are you simply afraid to show the world who you really are for fear of rejection or another form of “lacking personal power and courage”? Do you find that while in Oz you are able to really be you?
Or are you looking for your heart like the Tin Man looking for his?
This can show up in a couple different ways are you looking to find the love of your life, wondering if you will ever find your soulmate? Or are you looking outside of your current relationship to find someone who fills the void? Maybe you feel unloved in the “real world” but when in Oz it seems as though everyone loves you, which is measurable by likes and comments?
Or are you The Scarecrow looking for his brain?
Are you constantly looking at research, blogs and informational statuses and groups seeking to increase your knowledge? Are you hungry to learn more and more? Are you looking for confirmation of what you believe, because your close friends and family view you are “weird” or strange for what you believe? Does Oz offer a sense of “acceptance” for what you believe and/or offer you a quick way to learn new information leaving your brain full?
Or are you one of the witches?
This maybe a hard on to admit, but are you The Wicked Witch of the West?
Do you love to cruise around Oz on your broom looking for statuses you don’t agree with, images that bother you, beliefs that conflict yours or other ways you can slip into keyboard warrior mode and unleash all the internal conflict that overwhelms you? Dumping your fury onto others rather than simply dealing with your own “stuff”? Do you look for ways to find fault in others or “point your finger” rather than to take a “look in the mirror”? Is Oz a buffer that softens your own personal pain?
We all want to be the Good Witch or do we?
Are you Glenda The Good Witch always looking to cheer others up, “like” a post just to “like” it, posting something optimistic even though you can’t really see the positive side of the situation? Have you been through a lot in life and are able to really see life for the blessing it is and want to share your joy with others hoping they will learn the same lesson you have learned? Does staying positive and bringing joy to others warm your soul and Oz is the perfect place to “do good”?
So who are you?
We all fit into one category, where you fit is not the question. The question is, “Are you are “the Wizard?”
So, are you The Wizard?
In other words, how are you showing up in Oz?
Are you real and authentic you posting raw statuses, images and comments, unadulterated by social acceptance?
Or are you hiding behind the curtain of social media?
The Wizard had a voice synthesizer to “up his power”, do you post the true you or do you post to build yourself up to who you want to be, much like your computer possesses a “post synthesizer”?
There are a few truths about the Land of Oz:
There is no getting out of Oz, the methods of social media increase daily, you can’t change the growth of social media, you can only change how you show up on social media.
You play a role in The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy, The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, The Scarecrow, and/or one of the witches, Glenda the Good Witch or The Wicked Witch and at different times that role will change.
The world outside of social media is also The Land of Oz for many people, they are searching both online and in the world for balance.
The only choice you have in Oz is whether or not you are The Wizard.
You get to choose how you show up and whether or not you expose your authentic self and what others see outside the green curtain that is your computer or hand held device.
Whatever it is you seek: love, acceptance, knowledge or other, know that the world is waiting for you to show up!
Someone else may need to hear what you have to say, where you have been, may need the glimpse into your life is brought forth through authenticity, realness and the raw you!
What if we were all more real, more authentic and more raw? Whether everyone is out of our control.
But, whether or not you are is in your control.
xoxo