Life is like…?
February 3, 2011 by Juliet Chase
Filed under Pursuit of Happiness
Not too long ago I was listening to Anthony Robbins (I cringe a little to admit it but there you go) and the one thing that truly caught my attention was the implication that we live by metaphor. However you personally finish the sentence ‘life is like…” is how you approach the world, which in turn determines how the world responds to you. Or at least that’s the theory.
I thought about it for awhile, came up with my answer, and put it away since I couldn’t see any practical application for it.
Then recently – in the last few days I’ve across two people that defined life as ‘a struggle’ – both were successful, driven, and professional speakers. Somehow that metaphor sounds so very boring; Sisiphus endlessly pushing a boulder upwards – who would sign up for that? How could that motivate anyone? Of course they had a deeper point in that analogy, but still it’s missing something for me (and maybe for you too?)
The easy metaphors – a bowl of cherries, a box of chocolates, are too flat. There’s no sense of time or journey to them at all. So do those folks lack goals or a sense of purpose? I don’t know. I’m not sure if the metaphor really does anything other than define our personal values and style.
My metaphor? Life is a hike in the woods – some flat places, some switchbacks where I huff and puff and wish I’d gone to the gym, unexpected showers, surprising meadows of wildflowers and always interesting people coming and going. The metaphor sits fine with me – I can’t imagine anything happier than a long day in the woods with a good picnic and friends along. I’m still trying to see if that really does change my approach to life or not. Would I be more productive if I changed it to a battle? a reality show? Somehow I doubt it.
Do you have a metaphor you live by?
