10. Destroy the blocks, break down the wall, let go of the rope, and dance your way to success: The power of life metaphors

"the metaphor is perhaps one of man's most fruitful potentialities. Its efficacy verges on magic, and it seems a tool for creation which God forgot inside one of his creatures whe he made him"-Jose Ortega y Gasset

"I'm at the end of my rope"

"I can't break through the wall"

"My head is about to burst"

"I'am at a crossroads"

"I struck out"

"I'm floating on air"

"I'm drowning"

"I'm happy as a lark"

"I've reached a dead end"

"I'm carrying the world on my shoulders"

"Life is a bowl of cherries"

"Life is the pits"

Whenever we explain or communicate a concept by likening it to something else, we are using a metaphor.

All great teachers: Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Lao-Tzu have used metaphors to convey their meaning to the common man.

Global Methaphors

If you feel like you're drowning in a sea of confusion, walk up the beach and relax on the island of understanding.

We must take charge of our metaphors

The word "like" is often a trigger for the use of a metaphor.

A whole set of rules, ideas, and preconceived notions accompany any metaphor you adopt.

Life is_________

Life is a game

It might be a chance for you to play and enjoy yourself a lot more. Some people say, "If it's a game, then there are going to be losers" Other people ask, "will it take a lot of skill"

What if you believe life is a gift? All of a sudden it becomes a surprise, something fun, something special.

What if you think life is a dance?

"Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum" - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Just realize that changing one global metaphor can instantly transform the way you look at your entire life.

Sometimes it's useful and important to get ourselves to feel negative emotions with strong intensity.

Select your global metaphors

Most of us have never consciously selected the metaphors with which we represent things to ourselves.

"All perceptions of truth is the detection of an analogy" - Henry David Thoreau

Gabriel : I am a coach, I am a person who is your friend, someone who really cares about you, A coach is committed to helping you be the best you can be. A coach will challenge you, not let you off the hook, Coaches have knowledge and experience because they've been there before.

In addition, coaches motivates, and encourage you. Worries about you alone and in a team. He worries about the team too. Makes them move forward together.

Sometimes a coach doesn't even teach you something new,  but they remind you of what you need to do at just the right moment, and they push you to do it.

"An iron curtain has descended across the continent" -Winston  Churchill

The metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly

Exercise to do

1. What is life? complete the sentence life is _____ or life is like_____ then explain why

2. Make a list of all the metaphors that you link to relationships or marriage

3. Pick another area of your life that impacts you most (business, health, family, learning) and discover your metaphors

4. Create new, more empowering metaphors

5. Finally, decide that you are going to live with these new empowering metaphors the next thirty days.

Take control of your metaphors now and create a new world for yourself: a world of possibility, of richness, of wonder, and of joy.
