Metaphors have been with us in many forms for as long as we
can remember. Stories in the forms of fairy tales, proverbs and
parables are passed down from generation to generation.
Metaphors are so rooted in our upbringing that for many
people they act as an anchor for relaxation and involvement.
As such, metaphors bypass any conscious blocks or resistance
and slip into the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind
responds to the challenge of the metaphor by finding a unique
solution that fits the listener's experience and needs.
Metaphors are powerful and memorable. Many of the best
speakers and leaders use metaphor as a way of
communicating what they want to say. A skilled story teller is a
skilled communicator.
Metaphors are also used in our everyday lives. The
metaphors in an individual's or company's language provide
many clues to the patterns by which that individual lives and
the culture of the company of which they are a part. By
learning how to construct and recount metaphors, you will be
learning how to open your listener's or reader's mind to new
possibilities and choices. And by learning how to listen to the
metaphors that our unconscious minds give us, we learn to use
our internal wisdom and to develop our coherence so that we
become more of who we are truly meant to be.132 NLP AT WORK
THOUGHT PROVOKERS1 If you were to draw a metaphor for yourself, what would you
draw? As you read that question you may have noticed that a
picture popped into your mind. What was it?
❏ What does this represent for you?
❏ What are the characteristics of this metaphor?
❏ What are its strengths?
❏ What are its weaknesses?
❏ How are the elements of the image connected?
❏ What does this signify?
❏ What is missing and what does that signify?
Show the drawing to someone else and encourage them to ask
you questions about it. Their questions may give you insight intoSUMMARY