Metaphor - the link between the conscious and unconscious
Last week I was out for coffee with Sara, a social worker colleague, who repeatedly mentioned opening and closing windows of opportunity. Cognisant of our personal preference for our own metaphors, I recognised my resistance to hers. I was amused by my insistent inner voice repeating, 'Life is a journey, not a series of windows!'
Language has been called the dress of thought. It is estimated that the average person uses metaphor in everyday speech once every twenty-five seconds.
Metaphor isn't merely using words to paint a picture, it is the link between the conscious and the unconscious mind. Sometimes it is simply easier to express ourselves through the distance of analogy, particularly where a level of angst or intense emotion is involved. Compare the statement, 'I am in extreme emotional pain,' to 'My heart has been broken.'
We each use different metaphors depending on what they mean to us, subconsciously deriving an element of comfort from our familiar metaphors.
Discovering the other person's metaphor and using it will instantly raise the level of your communication as they feel honoured and understood. In coaching, the life coach uses the client's metaphor as a starting point in order to gain access to the client's unconscious mind, whereby changing the analogy changes the experience with subtlety and less chance of resistance.
A window is a great metaphor for life but it isn't mine.
To me, life is a wonderful journey with exciting twists and bends.
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Discussion point. What is your metaphor for life? Leave your answer in the comments section.
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