                    |
 In Greek, the term metaphor means "to carry" or "to transfer." In the
coaching conversation, metaphors are used to transfer a client's understanding
of a situation, circumstance or thought from the unknown to the known. Metaphors
generate new meaning, express the inexpressible and enable one to understand the
unfamiliar with familiar words and images
Linguists George Lakoff and Mark Turner believe that the "metaphor is a tool so
ordinary that we use it unconsciously and automatically, with so little effort
that we hardly notice it. It is omnipresent: metaphor suffuses our thoughts, no
matter what we are thinking about. It is accessible to everyone: as children we
automatically, as a matter of course, acquire a mastery of metaphor...And it is
irreplaceable: metaphor allows us to understand ourselves and our world in ways
that no other modes of thought can."
The use of the metaphor is a dynamic tool, for example, when crafting a Personal
Mission Statement. As a way to express one's vision for the meaning of their
life, the use of the metaphor provides imagery with which one can more easily
connect. The beginning of my Mission Statement, for example, is "I am the warm,
gentle breeze..." The power of the metaphor in this process is that I can
literally feel a bodily reaction as I visualize the gentle breeze and its impact
on those who experience it, therefore drawing me more eagerly toward my mission.
Each of my coaching clients also participate in a guided meditation; a
visualization in which they imagine meeting their "future self." During this
experience, they come to know a special name by which their "future self" is
known. This name is a metaphor or symbol of their essence in their future state.
The use of the metaphor is a creative and freeing way to open the clients
awareness to their own possibilities. Clients will discover name metaphors such
as "Calm," "Peace," "Pops" and "Heart" that provide them with another image with
which to explain who they wish to be.
When we see something in a new way, such as through a metaphor, we know it in a
new way as well. We have fresh words and images that provide deepened and
changed perspective. Would you like to rediscover the fire in your belly? Want
to turn the short stories of your life into an epic novel? Contact Erika for a
complimentary coaching session and explore what is possible for you.
Coaching questions: What is the metaphor you could use to describe this season
of your life? What images best represent who you are? Finish this statement: "I
am the (_insert metaphor_) who is designed to (_insert your impact on
the world_)."
 To reply to this Pathway, use our
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Creativity Coaching Programs and to
arrange for a complementary Creativity coaching session, use our
Contact Form or
Email Erika.
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Erika Jackson
(Erika@LifeTrekCoaching.com)
LifeTrek Coaching International
Columbus, OH
U.S.A.
Telephone: 614-565-9953
Fax: 208-977-7793
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