Today, we’re going to do something a little different: A kind of She Said – She Said thing. In Part 1, Mary Carol Moran will offer her point of view, and in Part 2, I’ll offer mine. Enjoy!
Mary Carol:
Most days I view the world through the screen door of my perceptions, and the landscape is hazy. Every once in awhile, a razor rips through with a giant X. I try to remember these glimpses of an unobstructed world.
One way I do that is through metaphor. Years with Taoism taught me that nature basically works. If I can recognize how I’m like a stone, or a gerbil, the similarity benefits my everyday life. A stream meanders around a boulder, and I can meander around a bureaucrat.
How does all of this relate to the Law of Attraction? I’m not sure. Melody is going to talk about that in a minute, and I’m as eager to read her explanation as you are.
For now, here are a few of the metaphors that help me know who I am:
- As my mother lay unmoving in a coma, I was struck by how youthful she looked, reverse gravity undoing 75 years of wear and tear. And it came to me that, I am the face I wore before I was born. The face I will wear again.
- I’m an orange: sweet, with pits.
- I’m a parrot. My hands flap and squawk, weaving words.
- I am brass, an alloy of shiny and strong, trumpeting my song.
- I am a wolf who howls and prowls.
- I am mica, beautiful in the sand and easily crushed.
- I’m a polar bear. Some days I catch salmon, and some days I hibernate.
- I am a freshwater pearl, luminous bumps and shadowy hollows.
- Sometimes I leapfrog, jumping up and over doubt.
- My friends are the seams in my volcano. Each time we talk, enough steam escapes.
- After making love, I am limp and twitchy as a sleeping puppy.
- Sometimes I’m a moth, caught in a headlight, waiting for green.
- For me, serenity is a flat, smooth stone covered in Vaseline.
- I am a pansy, returning each spring, sturdier than anyone imagines.
- At times, I’m a pancake, burnt on the edges and doughy in the middle.
- I’m a banana. The age spots tell me, I’m ripening.
- I’m a piñata, blindfold candy rain.
Here’s Melody:
As I’ve said many times, our brains are essentially translators of energy and since everything is energy, our perception of EVERYTHING, including ourselves, depends on this translation. In our modern world, we tend to rely heavily on words. Some of us are better at this than others, but for the most part, we use talking and writing to communicate how we feel. The problem is that words are pretty much the worst communication medium on their own. It’s incredibly difficult to convey EXACTLY how you feel with words. You can’t describe a frequency with any real degree of accuracy. Even the names of emotions are highly subjective as you may have seen from some of the comments on my video series on Negative Emotions. What I call anger may feel more like frustration to you. What I call shame may be your guilt. We can spend all day debating semantics and still not entirely understand each other.
When you try to define how you feel about something or yourself, you are trying to name a frequency. When you are trying to improve that feeling, you are attempting to raise that frequency to a higher vibration. Once you’ve reached that higher vibration, you want to find a way to hold on to it so that you can find it again and again. Words alone may be inadequate for this purpose, but luckily, we are not dependent on just words. We have a much better medium of capturing and defining energy points and that’s with symbols and pictures. Symbols allow us to communicate frequencies. How? Well, I can’t tell you what a certain vibration feels like; not to the point where you will accurately be able to find it. Again, just because I name a feeling, doesn’t mean that it feels exactly the same way to you. But, I can draw you a picture or describe an image to you. If you focus on this image, it can help you to focus on a specific frequency. Symbols have been used this way for millennia by shamans, priests, druids, hell, everyone, really.
Mary Carol’s metaphors are a creative way to shift her perspective on herself by focus on certain images. For example, when she feels stuck and helpless in a situation, by focusing on how the water flows over the boulders and then “becoming” that feeling (attuning to it), she is shifting her vibration to one that feels better. She could’ve told herself to just “let it go”, but so much more information was conveyed with a simple image – information she could immediately connect to.
You can focus on symbols in order to work your way into certain states or create metaphors about yourself in order to shift how you feel about you. This isn’t just fun, it’s a powerful way to shift your beliefs about yourself.
My metaphors:
- I like to say that I’m a Happy Shiny Puppy. That’s not just because I love puppies. It’s actually a way for me to connect with the energy of who I really am. Puppies are pure love, they are trusting and curious, they seek out cuddling and affection and give it away freely, they don’t judge, they just experience and explore as much as they can, finding delight in the simplest of things. And if they make a mistake, they forget almost instantly and just get on with the love. And so much more. I could write paragraphs about the feeling I’m connecting with, or I could simply think of a Happy Shiny Puppy.
- I’m a Mama Bear. I don’t have kids, but man can I get protective of the people in my tribe. Rowr.
- I’m a light, shining brightly and warmly in the darkness. And when others get near me, they start glowing, too.
- I’m also a parrot, squawking and flapping her wings. Perhaps that’s why Mary Carol and I get along so well, he, he. Two parrots gibbering away.
- I often conjure up the image of me, in a massive crowd, dancing my dance, just letting the music move my body and being totally in the moment. This image instantly transports me into the vibration of allowing.
- During a meditation one day, I was able to see myself and everything else as pure energy. This took me to a really high vibration and it felt great. Although, after I got used to it, it got kind of boring… I like physical manifestations.
- When I’m uncomfortable with someone, I may choose to see myself and them as pure spirit. This image allows me step out of judgment and just experience whatever gifts we have for each other. It also allows me to see what’s happening as a gift (or valuable message).
Images are powerful – much more powerful than words. This is why I use so many metaphors and analogies in my writing. It takes a lot less words to describe an image instead of the feeling that image will convey.
Remember how fascinating it was reading everyone’s lists/comments after the eleven questions post a couple of weeks ago? Share! Please share! What are your metaphors? How do you see yourself? A big white bear and a shiny puppy on opposite sides of the globe are literally bouncing on their chairs, waiting to read your words!
Big bear hugs and shiny puppy hugs to all,
Mary Carol and Melody
Mary Carol Moran lives in Mexico, where she spreads love and awareness and poetry. Her latest project is an animal shelter for puppies and kitties. Check it out and support the site by liking it here: Amigos de Perros y Gatos Colima
I felt inspired after reading this and I wrote this:
http://www.mamasworldview.com/2012/08/submit-trust-and-release.html?spref=fb
Thanks ladies!
Wow Amber,
That’s beautiful! I love it!!! Thanks so much for sharing it here. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
I love this one!! I have worked a lot with metaphors but never thought of using one to describe myself. At first I just could not find any and the ones I read in your blog and the comments just did not describe me. And then suddenly they started to come in and I only hope I still remember them to write them down. I looked at different ‘moods’ too and start with the most somber one:
sometimes I feel like a feather (though you would not think so if you saw me!), blown about by the wind of my emotions, which come up regularly after having been suppressed for decades earlier in life. Right now I am learning to let them pass rhrough without judments
or I feel like late winter, waiting to burst into spring
or a rose, still prickly (is that English), with the rosebud, covered with the tears of thawdrops, waiting to open when the sun rises
or a butterfly, just out of its cocoon, but not yet able to fly
or an eagle young, standing on the edge of its nest, flapping its wings before its first flight
or a mother, waiting to give birth, or maybe even a baby, waiting to be born
or a miner, climbing out of the pit with a rucksack full of precious stones, still to be evaluated
or a sunray, just before dawn, when it is still dark but on the horizon you see the first glimmers of light appearing
or a human angel who has not quite found her wings yet
or an adventurer in the spiritual realm, looking at all things from all angles and under no obligation to follow anyone’s doctrines, neither the old one nor the new ones
I am rapidly discovering myself to be free to let go of all my resistances in my own way and in my own time (well, I know that does not exist but still) and to find my own truth and let others discover theirs. So yes, I am waking up and stretching out after a long sleep. Good morning to you all!
Love,
Anny
Wow Anny!!
You are on the verge of discovering just how incredibly awesome and powerful you are. The anticipation you must be feeling has to be incredible. How exciting!!! Thank you so much for sharing this glimpse of yourself with us.
Huge hugs!
Melody
Hey Melody,
I just read your post The letter to the Universe again (I have not written it yet but have passed my husband and my daughter a copy to write theirs) and I suddenly realized that I in fact have already written part of it by the way I thought of what metaphors I could use. I concentrated very much on what and where I wanted to be and then the images started flowing in; they were kind of dictated like I was channeling a future version of myself (because I am not quite there yet) but it felt so good to be thinking this way and by feeling the feeling to make it come true.
Love,
Anny
Yay Anny!
That sounds awesome! Anything you do that feels that good is totally worth your time. That’s the feeling of alignment! I think your higher self just did a happy dance. I’m going to join her. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
Words Are Powerful –
Melody,
Did you know that your words are a seed in your life?
Every word you speak.
Every word you think.
Every word you hear.
Every word you allow to enter into your mind will influence your life.
Your words are your seed.
Your inner (subconscious) mind and heart are the ground where the seed is planted.
The harvest is your future.
consider the negative influence that this world has on us all. There are thousands of times more negative words than there are positive.
So now the challenge for you is to focus on deliberately sowing POSITIVE words.
“The problem is that words are pretty much the worst communication medium on their own. It’s incredibly difficult to convey EXACTLY how you feel with words. You can’t describe a frequency with any real degree of accuracy”
(What? where did you come up with this?)
“Words alone may be inadequate for this purpose, but luckily, we are not dependent on just words. We have a much better medium of capturing and defining energy points and that’s with symbols and pictures. Symbols allow us to communicate frequencies. ”
(What? Where did You come up with this one?)
NOTE:
Words spoken are made up of UNITS of SOUND called phonemes and Written Words of SYMBOLS called Graphemes, such as letters of the English Language….(THUS…they don’t stand on their own)
Sound Waves Vibrate at a CERTAIN FREQUENCY or Velocity and
Research has proven that DNA can be Reprogrammed By WORDS AND FREQUENCIES
If your experiencing words to be an inadequate form of communication, It would seem appropriate to REEVALUATE THE WORDS YOUR CHOOSING.
Oh,,,By The Way METAPHORS are made up of WORDS,
ItisMe
Hey Me,
The problem is that the same word will not evoke the exact same frequency when spoken by or heard by two different people. The intention behind the words will color the way we say it, changing the frequency of the sound emitted. The meaning we associate with a particular word will color how it resonates with us when we read it – our perception is key.
So, when we aim to communicate a specific frequency to another person, words are useful, but images are better. And yes, Metaphors are words, but it’s a way to create a picture with words. We don’t directly try to convey the feeling, but rather draw a mental picture which conveys much more information than the words on their own could’ve.
I am clearly a prolific user of words, both written and spoken. It’s my main medium and I adore words. But ultimately, it’s restricted. The most direct and accurate form of communication would be telepathy, although most of us aren’t there yet. And so, we use words and images. For me, it’s important to understand this restriction, because it prompts us to pay attention to the vibration behind the words. It causes us to choose better words, and also to translate words of others when they don’t quite fit the vibration. We may choose a better word for ourselves, for example, because it more closely resembles the feeling that was conveyed. We do not all use the same words the same way. This is at the heart of the message.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Huge hugs,
Melody
Hi Me,
Thank you for writing about the power of words.
We’re doing a project in Mexico to put the word “peace” into everyday vocabulary. When surrounded by peace, people will no longer accept violence. The government can regulate all it wants, but people change culture, and it starts with language.
Soy PAZ,
Mary Carol
That all so beautiful,
I spent so many years with cats that…
I am a cat bathing in the sun feeling immense warmth and pleasure.
I am a cat laying on the sofa near the fireplace feeling happy, warm and safe on a winter night.
I am a cat bouncing up for joy on rocks 5 times my height in a beautiful sunny valley.
I am a cat rubbing against the cheeks of the ones I love.
I am a cat taking pleasure in doing nothing but looking around at my beautiful surroundings.
I am a cat not afraid of staring at the face of the ones I love so they understand how I feel without me saying anything at all.
Thanks for the opportunity to share this 🙂 Melody!
Wow Sylviane,
Those are awesome! I especially like the last one. Cats are not afraid to show how they feel. They really don’t care how you feel back. That’s not of concern to them (the ultimate example of detachment. They will feel the way they feel and it has nothing to do with you). But they’re also never afraid to show you affection (or disdain…he, he).
Thank you so much for sharing this part of yourself here!
Huge hugs!
Melody
Sylviane, how lovely!
I’m a puppy person myself, and each of your metaphors applies to dogs too. We learn so much from our non-human friends. They often seem to embody our highest values – loyalty, affection, contentment, happiness.
Hug,
Mary Carol
Melody…
I can’t imagine living life without metaphors. They remind me of being a good jazz musician. You can go as far out as you want as long as you bring it back home…and of course, the audience has to be grabbed by it.
Because I’m such a visual person, I see metaphors. When I do spiritual counseling, I often let the visual lead me and my words reflect that in the use of a metaphor. It is a wonderful way for me to communicate and it allows the other person to see themselves or a situation in a different way.
Ahhh metaphors…they’re like dark fudge chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream….rich, sweet and scrumptious. A great post as always Melody..xxoo-Fran
Hey Fran!
Ah chocolate! Many a metaphor has been sweetened by your presence. 🙂
I love the correlation between music and metaphors. I think metaphors are a way for us to make music using words. We can conjure up images and feelings and transport ourselves or others into a different state. And really good music does the same.
Thanks for the insight, Fran!
Huge hugs,
Melody
Hi Fran,
Yes! Great metaphors are fresh and also familiar at the same time. The best ones are a surprise that immediately makes sense. I imagine language began with gestures and comparisons, as tall as that bush… And metaphors still have the ability to communicate much more than the words themselves.
Chocolate hug,
Mary Carol
Hey MCM,
Whenever I see your picture, it reminds me of one of my very good friend (this is how I connect with you 🙂 ). Very nice way of putting metaphors. Love your wisdom.
Thanks for being there.
Huge Hug & Love,
Sameer 🙂
Hi Sameer,
I love your wisdom too. I hope you’ll share your metaphors when you get them refreshed (great metaphor right there!).
Have a scrumptious day filled with hugs,
Mary Carol
You are Awesome Melody,
Your first & last points in your metaphors are just super sexy. I loved the last one very much “How pure”.
I need to press refresh button to my metaphors. Infact I love to hear it from nears and dears about myself 🙂
Huge Hug & Love,
Sameer 🙂
Thanks Sameer!
Huh. And here I thought I’d kept my super sexy ones to myself, LOL. Yes! Come up with some awesome metaphors for yourself. It’s so much fun and really works to see yourself in a whole new light. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
These metaphors are amazing. My favorite is this: “I’m a light, shining brightly and warmly in the darkness. And when others get near me, they start glowing, too.” What a beautiful image this conjures in my head. I am a light and I love shining wherever I go. Thanks for this!
Nea, Your smile shines in the avatar photo, tiny as it is! Thank you for sharing the glow!
Mary Carol
Thanks so much Nea! I love that one, too. And it’s true, for all of us. We have the power to influence those around us just by being us. We don’t have to be extra special or impressive or wise. We just have to be us. We are that valuable. 🙂
Glad to have you shining with me, chica!
Huge hugs,
Melody
I’ve learned the value of imagery recently. Often, I have thought of my life like a big, heavy round boulder that I’m desperately trying to move and get rolling. Then the idea hit me that perhaps that image was contributing to the difficulty in my life. So now I picture a big, inflatable ball instead that is easy as pie to push. And instead of seeing myself struggle and sweat w/ agony trying to move a rock, I see myself effortlessly rolling this over-sized beach ball.
Another image I also played in my mind for years was me as a big log floating down a river completely out of control of where it goes. Sometimes getting stuck on rocks or in shallow areas, getting the crap knocked out of me as the log went through rapids. Again, I realized this visual analogy of my life was not helping. So while working out on an elliptical machine last week, I closed my eyes and zoned out to the music. I pictured that log on the side of the river and me carving it into a canoe, then a kayak (because I believe those are a little easier to maneuver). Then I saw myself in that kayak going down the river with the greatest of ease. Dodging every rock that appeared in my path. Expertly navigating the white water rapids with complete control and feeling exhilarated by it. Then enjoying the serene, beauty during the river’s calm portions. Between the endorphins from working out and this imaginary scene in my head, I had the biggest smile on my face and the best feeling I had had in a long time. I look forward to repeating this practice over & over with every gym visit. (Also, I have the biggest desire now to travel to the Grand Canyon and raft the Colorado River. I believe this opportunity will arise in time if I keep this up.) 🙂
Wow, Lauren!
What a great visualization! You’ll be rafting through the Grand Canyon before you know it. I love the way you took the old image and made a new better shinier version. You must be ready for change, to be able to see it in so much happy detail. Woohoo!
Thank you for sharing an inspiring story! That’s a great idea to combine visualizing and working out. I bet Melody can explain why it feels like such a good combination. All I know is my instincts are chanting, Yes!
Swooshing, swirling hugs!
Mary Carol
Hey Lauren!
I love it when I’m working out at the gym and I catch myself in the mirror only to realize I have this big, stupid grin on my face. It happens to me as I walk down the street, too. I zone out a lot and I get into really happy places and my face shows it.
I’ve personally found that physical movement has a way of getting our energy flowing – all of it. I always feel better after I’ve taken a walk or moved in some other way. I’ve used physical movement to break through blockages. There’s a lot of power there. Also, when you’re at the gym, there are very few distractions. You’ve basically just combined a visual meditation with exercise, which is awesome. You’ll get the benefit of both. I’ve even experimented with guided meditations while on the treadmill. You wouldn’t think the two would mix, but it’s awesome! Your mind goes to a completely different place and the workout is over really fast.
Oh and just one more thing: Metaphors – you’re doing it right. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
Somebody called me a pansy once…..I said ‘no I’m not you silly brute’………..
Interesting story with the use of metaphors; I’m just one big ol’ ball of goodness, and that’s a fact.
Hi Bill,
I’m not sure how pansies got such a bad rep. They may look delicate, but they are sturdy little buggers. I planted some one year in Canada, thinking they were annuals. The next spring they came back all on their own and took over.
Here’s a hug, you big ol’ ball!
Mary Carol
Ahahahahaha. Bill the big ol’ ball. Oh, the directions I could take this in. But I won’t. Because this is a family friendly blog. Oh wait… Ahem.
I’ll stop now.
Huge hugs!
Melody
I will just “like” this post because I am at a loss for words….I just was “attacked” at a meeting and I am working on letting it just flow over me like the boulder in the stream…
I am filling up the stream with my tears…. releasing
Even when one is down and sorting, there are just those who come out of the woodwork to attack and know it will hurt like the dickens….one reason I am staying home is because I bring out other folks pain unto me As I protect myself from absorbing their feelings, they seem to come on stronger…I just have to get this out of me…the rain is stopping ready for a dog walk in a few minutes
Hi Patricia,
I hope the stream flowing around a boulder image is comforting to you. Sometimes metaphors give us a broader perspective that’s hard to see in a difficult moment.
One night before a big meet-and-greet, I was worried that I totally wouldn’t fit in with a bunch of corporate black-suiters. I imagined of a basket woven of many different colors of reeds. It was beautiful and strong, and I could be a brightly colored reed contributing my bit to the strength of the whole. The next day, the meeting went great. It turned out that IBM higher-ups valued the different colors people brought to the basket.
Metaphors will come to you from a place of strength and healing. I hope you can relax and find images that lift your spirits. Going for a walk with the dog on a rain-washed day is a great start!
Hugs,
Mary Carol
Hey Patricia,
I agree with Mary Carol. Metaphors will come to you from a place of healing. Right now, your instinct to let these feelings and thoughts pass through and out of you is right on. Am I not always telling you to just go for a walk with your doggy? Right on, chica. You will feel better soon.
Imagine a big, huge, stuffed animal puppy running up to you and just hugging you. Squoosh. Better?
Melody
This was just the post I need to read today! Just wonderful! Thanks so much ladies!
I don’t really have any metaphors… well I do have some negative ones I have been able to mostly stop using. Time to make some positive ones!
I do have a few images I guess you’d say, they are more like a kind of feeling with moving colors that have “body” or substance(kind of like colored energy), when I see them in my mind they represent certain vibrations and help me line up with that vibration.
I love the metaphor idea and am excited to put it to good use!! 🙂
Hey Adrienne,
You know, symbols and images can be abstract, as well. So if it works for you to imagine colors or shapes or whatever, then go with that. Often, this works wonders because we have no association to abstract shapes and colors. You can attune yourself to a pure vibration without potentially messing it up. This works especially well when you’re starting from a not-so-good-feeling place. The worse you feel, the more general you should be. The better you feel, the more specific you can be.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Huge hugs!
Melody
Hi Adrienne,
Metaphors can be so empowering! I love your phrase ‘colored energy.’ Some of my Reiki-giving friends experience higher vibrations this way. What a lovely gift!
I started creating metaphors as an aspect of learning to write poems. I began by asking myself, how am I like this? How am I not like this? Pick anything you want, and just ponder. It’s a fun game, and empowering and enlightening to do with kids too. As Jason says in a comment above, a lot of insight comes from the little question, Why? Okay, I see myself as a polar bear. Why?
Another way to get started is to ask, What kind? What kind of flower am I? Tree? Animal? Rock? Bird? Once you start, you won’t want to stop!
Have fun! I hope you’ll share some of your shiny new positive metaphors once they’re ready to come out and play.
Many hugs,
Mary Carol
A voice in the wilderness of human consciousness.
Wow Phil. I like that one. Sometimes it really does feel like a wilderness, doesn’t it. And sometimes more like a vast space. Oooh. I’m getting lost in metaphor land. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
Hi Philip,
Just shows how words resonate differently for everyone. For me, the wilderness connotes a lonely place, empty of human contact. But the cosmos to me is huge and warm and fuzzy. So I’ll see you as a voice in the cosmos, connecting to everyone and everything, even when you’re not sure they’re listening!
Thank you for sharing a thought-provoking image. Giant human hugs,
Mary Carol
I like your interpretation! Hugs back!
Thanks Philip. More of us are listening than you realize. I always enjoy reading your perspective. MC
🙂
Well, today is my first day of being officially unemployed as far as the “real” world goes, so that’s kind of colouring everything right now. Today I feel…
– I am a pot of coffee… brewing, brewing…
– I am a caterpillar, snug in my cocoon. Looking for the courage to become a butterfly.
– I am a willow tree… beautiful, wind-tossed, strength.
Tomorrow might be different. 😉
Congratulations Nathalie! You are now free to become that butterfly. (I’ve always loved butterflies because of this very metaphor.)
Thanks so much for sharing your images with us here.
Huge hugs!
Melody
Hi Nathalie,
Wow! Feels like you are ready. The energy coming off your metaphors is so positive! One thing that’s for sure – tomorrow WILL be different. It always is, and that’s one of the coolest things there is! Wishing you awesomer and awesomer todays!
Hugs and a butterfly kiss on your cheek,
Mary Carol
Thanks ladies! I had a wonderful day today. Accomplished a lot and took a nice walk out in the beautiful, beautiful sunshine (’cause I can do that now — woo-hoo and happy dance!!!). Moment of panic when I looked at my bank account balance and realized I don’t have a steady official paycheque anymore. But I decided on a new mantra while out on my walk: “The happier I am, the more money I make!” 🙂
I am sunshiiii-iiiine, on a cloudy day…. (sorry, couldn’t help it! LOL!)
Sing it out, Nathalie!
True story: Two boys showed up at the door with an abandoned pup they had found by the highway. I talked to a bunch of people but couldn’t find him a home. I took him to the park and started singing to him about what a happy home he was going to have, how he would have plenty to eat and lots of love. When I got back to the house, my neighbor tweeted his photo, and fifteen minutes later he was adopted. I swear it was the song!
Happy tunes! Many hugs! Keep sharing your song!
Mary Carol
Daaaaym, Mary Carol. That was one powerful song! Or…one powerful puppy. He, he. I might start singing about my millions as I clean the house or something. hey! Actually, that sounds like fun! Yay!
When I was a kid I talked my parents into letting me have a St. Bernard. As “Bernie” grew he totally destroyed the house, wrecking the wallpaper, knocking over furniture, terrifying visitors etc. but I loved that damn dog so much that it really didn’t matter (mom and dad saw it rather differently however). Kathy ,the love of my life, is Ethel Merman reincarnated and projects a very large presence – high energy, always singing and charging through life accomplishing much and enjoying much. Whenever Kathy invades my quiet time (needed for writing and contemplation) and I begin to feel irritated, I think of “Bernie”, it ALWAYS creates warm and loving feelings.
Riley
What a wonderful story, Riley!
I love that you see the joyful synchronicity of Bernie and Kathy. Woohoo that you attracted this amazing person into your life, and that you’ve found a simple way to get back to your happy place.
My mutt Gemma is my doggy soul mate, and has been my companion for 11 years, five states, and two countries. She’s the opposite of Bernie, restfully joyful. Now that you mention it, maybe I’ll start intending to attract a human counterpart.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. Many bouncy puppy hugs,
Mary Carol
Wow Riley. We should all have our own Bernie. Our own image of warm, fuzzy, drooling, boisterous love. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing that image with all of us.
Huge hugs!
Melody
Hi again Riley,
I shared your story today at the animal shelter (in Spanish!), and everyone loved it. Thank you for adding a new perspective to several peoples’ lives today.
More hugs,
MC
Well thanks, I’m glad that “Bernie” is getting world wide recognition. He was quite the dog.
I see myself as a shiny black crow in a corn field squawking whatever message I want to send.
I’m not always where people want me to be, neither physically or mentally. However, most people will agree that what I have to say is worth giving a little attention to.
Hey Glynis,
I’ve never been where most people have wanted me to be or thought I should be. And you know what I figured out? People who insist that you go and be somewhere else aren’t happy where they are and they’re hoping that if they can get everyone else “into place” then that will change. That doesn’t work. As long as you are where you want to be, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
And of course what you have to say is worth paying attention to! Sit in you corn field and happily squawk away. Hell, sit on the scare crow’s head and squawk, but squawk happily. And then, those that love your squawking will gather around and they won’t be able to get enough of what you have to say. And those who think that you should be somewhere else? Well, they can squawk on their own. If they can’t really hear what you have to say, if they don’t “get” what you’re offering, it has nothing to do with you or how valuable your input is. If pure gold was pouring out of a mountain top and someone came along and said “Bah! It’s yellow. I hate yellow!” and walked away, would you suddenly disregard the gold? Would it not still be beautiful to you? People can have differing opinions, that doesn’t mean that you have to listen to them or adopt them. That’s their view. Choose yours on your own. 🙂
So go squawk some gold, lady!
Huge hugs!
Melody
Hi Glynis,
I love crows! For me they are powerful companions. I’ve been on car trips where I swear a small flock has kept us company for miles and miles. So any time you want to come squawk in my neighborhood, please do!
Thank you for sharing your metaphor. You’ve added crows into my day – woohoo!
Hugs,
Mary Carol
Hi Melody and Mary
This was a great post. I really resonated with the idea that language limits us in truly expressing our feelings. This idea of a metaphor is really interesting to me. I have never really employed their use in this way and it does seem like a great way to express our frequencies. Reading your metaphors here really helped me understand what you were trying to convey and I think I will work on coming up with my metaphors! Thanks again for a great post
Hi Kelli,
Metaphors rock. My first poetry professor drummed into me that if you feel the need to explain, the image isn’t strong enough yet. Metaphors work that way, almost like music. They tap into another part of the brain that just “gets” things.
Have fun writing your metaphors. I’d love to see them in progress. That’s another fun thing about them – they grow and change. Hmm… metaphor as a chia pet… which itself is a metaphor. Arrgg! Time to sleep!
Hugs,
Mary Carol
Ch-ch-ch-chia!
Hey Kelli!
The use of metaphor and simile is a huge part of our language. Sweating like a pig, big as a house, stubborn as a mule… But most people don’t know that we can use metaphors and images deliberately to change how we feel. It’s so much fun once you try it, because you can connect with really silly, funny things (like happy shiny puppies, or giggling monkeys or Hula dancing squirrels) and it will instantly make you a bit happier. Try it!
Huge hugs!
Melody
P.S.: Yes. I said hula dancing squirrels. Go on, imagine yourself as a hula dancing squirrel. I dare you. Can’t not smile, can you? Ha.
Being a visual person, metaphors and pictures help me immensely to understand things. Melody, your metaphors have made so many LOA concepts clear to me after reading about them from others for years and not quite understanding them.
An image that I’m working on changing for myself: I often feel like the ball in a pinball machine – too much to do and pulled in too many directions.
A metaphor that I like to use while I’m meditating: My True Self is the clear, blue, endless sky. Thoughts and emotions are passing clouds. I can put the thought/emotion label on the cloud and watch it pass and disappear as I remain serene and untouched by them.
Great ideas Mary Carol and Melody! Thank you!!
Hi Paige,
I love Melody’s metaphors too. Between the ropes and the ladders and the shiny dancing puppies, the how and the where we’re going become clearer and clearer.
A wonderful aspect of thinking in metaphor is that you can tweak them to make them work better for you. A thought on the pinball: maybe you could imagine giving it legs. I have a visual of this cute caterpillar-like ball named Paige running around avoiding the bats and traps and happily doing as she pleases.
Your meditation image relaxes me just reading it! I sometimes become a body of water, like a stream, and thoughts are leaves floating on the surface. As I sink deeper, I become the still water at the bottom of the course, with the swifter water, leaves and all, passing quietly overhead.
Thank you so much for your wonderful contributions to the blog. I always enjoy your comments. Hugs,
Mary Carol
I love the new and improved image Mary Carol! Legs to allow me to walk in my own direction and timing. Awesome!! I felt a sense of calm as I read that, feeling how it allows me to take my power back. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome! I saw the image as soon as I read your words. Go Paige! Hugs, MC
Hey Paige,
Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m a visual person, too, which is why I rely so heavily on imagery. It’s works for me, too. 🙂
I love that meditation – let the thought float away like clouds. Guided meditations work so well because of the imagery that we use. I have a whole series of symbols and scenarios I take myself through depending on what I’m trying to achieve. And I always enjoy hearing about the images and sequences that other people use. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
LOVE this. And I’ve been toying with blog-post collabs for awhile. This has my ideas brewing even more.
Anyway…
Story, metaphor, perspective… all things I adore.
I’m not sure if you meant to have a call to action to “Share your own metaphors in the comments!” but I’m totally doing that.
I’m sunshine on the seeds of human potential.
I’m a shot of adrenaline for the soul.
I’m a spotlight shining through spiritual blur.
I’m an elephant, immensely powerful with a gentle heart.
I’m a dolphin, vastly intelligent and unconditionally loving.
I’m a magnifying glass; clarifying insight.
I’m a satellite; a calm, broader view.
I’m a speed boat, having a blast in the ocean of life.
I’m a freight train; unstoppably on-track to success, and bringing lots with me.
I’m a container, holding and moulding my reality.
I’m a computer, collaborate with me and create stunning results.
I’m a magnet, attracting everything success-focused like me.
I’m a present, and so is my presence.
I’m a walking, talking economy, providing wealth to all around me.
I’m an oak tree, rock-solid rooted, allowing, and continually growing.
I’m a movie; epic beginning, middle and… end 😉
I’m a symbol, quote me and ryze up.
Oh Jason, I LOVE IT!!!! That’s so awesome!!! Thank you so much for sharing your list here. Yes, we meant to have a call to action. I hope others will take your lead and share, share, share!
My favorite: “I’m a shot of adrenaline for the soul.” I love that.
I’d like to think that I’m a punch of happiness. To the face.
HA!
Huge hugs,
Melody
My pleasure, and that “shot of adrenaline for the soul” line was given to me a student of mine (rapper/producer) who was appreciative of what I brought to the table.
Looks like I’m also a…
Spear-head, leading the way 😉
Wow, Jason! I love these!
I like the way you’ve mixed natural and manufactured items – elephant and freight train and oak tree… For me, every metaphor is a chance to learn a little more about myself, especially when I ask why. Why do I feel akin to a polar bear? You’ve done a great job giving a little extra oomph to each image.
Thanks for getting the listing game off to a great start. Juicy sweet orange hug!
Mary Carol
Haha, thanks Mary 🙂
You’re right, the insight from asking why is awesome, and I believe it’s inherent in the metaphor — like it’s hard not to ask why.
For example, what if I told you there was *another* — far more titillating — reason I’m like a Dolphin, beyond the already awesome intelligence and unconditional love?
Ummm… I’d blush!
Some of the metaphors posted here are from my first book of poems, Clear Soul. Yeah, there are some more revealing ones too… That’s the thing about writing poetry – if people actually read your poems, they get to know you maybe better than is comfortable.
Thanks again for posting your list. I’m going to read it again with a very open mind. Ha!
MC
Heheh, that sounds about right 🙂
As for me, open book, get to know me, it’s extra-comfortable 😛
An open mind… and some research into male dolphins might be necessary 😉
I don’t remember what I said, but I do remember when another writer at a conference asked the conference leader, Rosemary Daniel, what I meant. And I heard Rosemary say, “Oh, that’s Jill, she speaks in metaphors.” That is the moment in which I learned something new about myself. Right now, I am a verb, and I am in Patti Digh’s Verb Tribe. My therapist once described me as an action verb. I guess that I will come back here when my metaphors return to me.
Hi Jill,
You are definitely an action verb! Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to reading more of your metaphors when you think of them. How do I see you? Hmmm… How about an Irish setter? Gorgeous and loyal and prancing and red! All that bright hair!
Many happy puppy hugs,
Mary Carol
PS If you haven’t guessed, Jill and I go back many years.
Interesting Jill. I’ve never thought of myself as a verb. Sometimes I think I’m definitely a noun. At other times, I’m an adjective. A really good one. But yeah, action verb is in there too. Huh. Grammar for self-realization. They should’ve taught that in school, eh?
Any friend of Mary Carol’s is a friend of mine. :o)
Huge hugs!
Melody
Thank you both for sharing your lovely metaphors. I found them easy to visualise and that was really helpful when I took some time to try and feel the frequencies you are describing. Although I’ve long been aware of meditation and visualisation techniques, it’s only now that I feel I’m using them effectively. I have an image for happiness and joy, which is me standing at the water’s edge of a beach, playing and dancing in the water like I did when I was a kid. For me this is freedom and unselfconsciousness. I’ve found myself returning to this image more and more recently, and I hold it in my mind to get me to that place. It’ll be interesting to see (literally) what other meditations bring up!
Once again, and as always, thank you xx
Hi Sinead,
What a beautiful image! I’ve written more in terms of comparisons in my poems. I love the idea of imagining yourself in a happy time and situation. Thank you for reminding me of time spent on the beach in Galveston as a toddler. I can picture the umbrella, pink bonnet, and frilly underpants! You’ve given me a lovely Sunday morning gift!
Hugs and Happy Sunday,
Mary Carol
Hey Sinead,
This is exactly what I’m talking about – you use an image (or little video) in your mind to instantly achieve a certain feeling. Your beach sounds like a really happy place. I have one of those, too. Actually, I have a ton of them. You can never have too many happy places, he, he.
Huge hugs!
Melody
😀 I love the concept of metaphors – probably because I grew up listening to them. My mom was a school teacher and a wizard with kids. And adults. I am going to have fun thinking about what I read just now so I can make a list of my own. 😀
Vidya, I can’t wait to read your list! Please post it.
Melody, This was so much fun! I love your explanation of how metaphors are a simple method to visualize and raise vibration. Woohoo!
This morning I’m a chocolate-eating, coffee-sipping, sunny, blooming bougainvillea, turning a smiling face to the new day.
Hugs to all! I am so looking forward to reading everyone’s comments,
Mary Carol
Thanks MC! I really enjoyed sharing the post and offering readers two different perspectives. Can’t wait to see what everyone has to say. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
I’m not at all surprised, Vidya! You being a poet and all (something you and Mary Carol have in common…) I can’t wait to read your list. I’m sure it will be eloquent and amazing. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody