Somewhere over the dopamine rainbow
Earlier this week I had the unexpected surprise of hearing Stephen Colbert sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in a live duet with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl. (Spoiler alert: she's actually also a cantor and he has a great voice, so it was a smashing success.)
Even though. I've never liked The Wizard of Oz (I know, I know 😱), I’ve always loved that song. Based on the captivated audience of thousands around me, I could see I wasn't alone in my connection to this classic tune.
What is it about “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that tugs so much at our heartstrings?
I’m sure every single one of us has had a time in our lives where we felt like we didn’t belong. Like we were searching for a sense of belonging. A place to call home.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” taps into the essence of longing and hope—for a brighter world—where troubles melt and everything feels safe, whole, and beautiful— A place where we feel like we belong. Where we feel at home.
In many ways, that same longing is what drives our modern-day pursuit of "dopamine hits".
What's a dopamine hit?
A social media feed filled with pretty images
A sweet treat
A favorite song
A new follower on Tik Tok
An idea that excites you
All these give us a brief glimpse of that rainbow: a sense of joy, aliveness, and comfort.
But just like in the movie, the place or thing we’re really looking for isn’t actually somewhere out there. As it turns out, it’s within ourselves.
Let's back up... what's dopamine?
Dopamine is our brain’s built-in reward system—the spark that motivates us and says “Yes, do that again.” It’s not the enemy; it’s what gets us out of bed, helps us dream, and keeps us moving forward.
The challenge comes when we start chasing that spark in ways that leave us disconnected from ourselves. It’s easy to spot in the obvious places—posting for validation, sugar highs, or endless multitasking—but it’s trickier when it hides behind things that look healthy or productive.
For example, in business dopamine often disguises itself as accomplishment. We tell ourselves we’re working toward purpose, but sometimes what we’re really chasing is the next hit: the successful launch, the full calendar, the kind message or approval from others that reminds us we’re doing enough.
Those moments feel like the sunshine after the rain—until the high fades.
Then the clouds roll back in, and we find ourselves reaching for the next rainbow, believing that one will finally make us feel at home.
But the truth is, dopamine highs are fleeting by design.
What goes up must come down, and when our self-worth gets tied to those external moments of success, the crash can feel like emptiness or self-doubt. We begin to believe that our worth depends on our output, our relevance, our applause.
Yet all along, what we’re really craving isn’t success—it’s safety. The safety that comes from feeling grounded in who we are, regardless of what we achieve.
The comfort of being at home in our own body, our own rhythm, our own truth.
How do we stop chasing the dopamine rainbow?
The moment we become aware of these cycles, something softens. We can start to see our “dopamine hits” not as failures, but as signals—our nervous system’s way of reminding us that we’re yearning for connection, peace, and belonging.
When we slow down enough to listen, we can begin to find those feelings in gentler, steadier ways:
Through meaningful rest
Nourishing food
Movement
Creative flow
Quiet moments of presence
These are the kinds of “rewards” that don’t send us swinging between highs and lows—they anchor us back into ourselves.
Maybe in the song “over the rainbow” was never a place at all. Maybe it was always the feeling of being safe, at ease, and whole within our own skin. The more we learn to source that comfort from within, the less we have to chase it elsewhere. And when that happens, life doesn’t necessarily get louder or more colorful—it simply feels more like home.
To letting go of chasing the rainbow and finding it within.
