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?

Technorati Tags: metaphors for life

I came across this not too long ago and thoroughly enjoyed it – it’s a well spent 20 minutes if you feel like you could use more connection in your life.

Technorati Tags: connection, vulnerability

I was reading something recently that pointed out that you can’t evaluate something without asking a question. In thinking about that I think it’s true – I certainly can’t think of an example where you don’t ask at least one question; will this car keep me safe, can I afford it, will he make me bored, does he like me and so on.

So when you evaluate things in your life are you asking positive questions or negative ones? why me? or how can I make this work for me? Start by just noticing that you are asking questions – then delve deeper!

It seems like the “experts” keep telling us it’s easy – whatever it is they’re talking about. Even if you know it’s not, a little bit of that thinking can creep in, particularly if the message seems to be coming from all directions. Not too long ago I was reading an article on the Launch Coach totally an another topic but it brought home the point that we’ve become conditioned to believe that life is supposed to operate on a push button. Life is difficult when you have to write something out by hand and impossible beyond that.  No wonder so many people stop in their tracks.

And yet studies are starting to show that what truly makes people happy are challenges, and the accomplishing thereof.  We aren’t wired to have life be easy. So if you’re stumped by something that seems impossibly long and hard maybe it’s time to reset the scale.

Technorati Tags: achieving goals, challenges, the way to happiness

It’s possible to be both extroverted and shy, or just shy in person but not in email – there are all kinds of combinations. Shyness isn’t something necessarily to overcome, the usual advice of the non-shy to those afflicted but neither is it a good excuse to do nothing. Self promotion seems to just keep getting more and more important as the world gets larger through all the points of connection. If you have been challenged with this lately, here’s some suggestions that just might help move your goals forward.

Technorati Tags: facing fears, marketing for the shy