WEEKLY COACHING TIP #140   

WHAT IS 'META' FOR?

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine who is well known for his metaphors, in fact he is known amongst us as, ‘Metaphor Man’

So I invited him to write a tip and this was his response:

When Denise asked me to write a tip – my reaction, rooted in my schooling experience, was of fear and trepidation, as I interpreted this as having to write an essay.  However, I realised that using the Power of Metaphor, I could translate my representation of writing an essay into the exciting feelings I get when I write a love letter…  This immediately transformed my negative state to one of openness and willingness.

So My Darling Readers,

The Greek definition of metaphor is ‘to carry over or transfer’.

The standard dictionary definition of metaphor is ‘a figure of speech in which a word or phrase, literally denoting one kind of object or idea, is used in place of another, by way of suggesting a likeness or an allegory, so one idea or object is linked to another by the implication or suggestion, that the two are related or connected in some way.’

I use the word metaphor as a generic word for similes, parables, stories, anecdotes and wisdom language.

I believe that we only communicate metaphorically.  For example, world religions, indigenous tribes all use this power to communicate, and teach their history and culture through stories, metaphors and symbols which are incredibly powerful.  The mind loves and learns very easily through stories.

If I’m stuck on a problem or in an unhelpful emotion, which may seem like… ‘being trapped on top of a burning tower block’, or ‘I have dug myself into the deepest, darkest hole’, then a metaphor can be a ‘helicopter coming to winch me to safety’ or ‘a ladder providing me a way out into the light’.

Metaphors help you tap into the power of your incredible creative, childlike mind.  It can be a creative world of visual, auditory and emotional transformation.

How do I do it?  My trigger phrase, when confronted with a problem, would be ‘This is like …..’.  So as soon as I’ve recognised that my creative mind has made a simple representation of the problem, i.e. a symbol, this relaxes me and I can begin to manipulate the symbol. I can then notice if I have been tackling the ‘real’ problem with gentle patience.

Einstein said ‘you can’t solve a problem at the same level that the problem exists’.  So simplistically, ‘meta’ meaning above, allows you to be above the problem which then allows you to see how to transform it.

5 STEPS TO CREATING YOUR METAPHOR

1. Think of a problem or situation in your life that you would like to transform

2. Ask yourself ‘What is it like?’

If it helps imagine you are a bird flying above the problem and viewing it from a height.  This will give you emotional detachment.

3. Your subconscious mind will then present a symbol of the problem, e.g.

• ‘This is like going round and round on a roundabout’

•  ‘This is like a tangled ball of string’

4. You can then begin finding the solution to the ‘real’ problem by first adjusting the symbol

• ‘How would I untangle the string?’

the answer then becomes easily seen, e.g. ‘gently and with patience’

5. Now just notice how the feelings change in the body when you both change the ‘picture’ and the words…

Practitioners from many different background use metaphors a great deal as they are so effective at communicating at an unconscious level for making changes.

Yours Passionately my little sugar lumps!

Neil Rumbold

Thank you Neil for your wonderful tip

Neil Rumbold is an inspirational & metaphorical coach and associate of Inspirit.

He can be contacted at neilr@coachinginspirit.com

By the way, do you remember Jonny Wilkinson’s metaphor?

Until next week Onwards and Upwards!

© 2005 INSPIRIT, Neil Rumbold - All Rights Reserved