METAPHORS – Their Power and Simplicity
Metaphors are an easy and powerful way to communicate especially when creating change. For example at NLP Practitioner Certification level, the practitioner learns how to identify the structure of a client’s problem, develop a metaphor and deliver it in such a way that the client’s model of the problem (meaning HOW the client thinks about the problem) loosens. In my experience from teaching NLP trainings and working with coaching clients, I found that IF the metaphor is created purposefully, in most cases the problem completely disappears, and that happens in a matter of seconds.
As a trainer of NLP I see this happening often and even the most bizarre behaviours no longer scare me. I know what to do. I know that even the worst “problmes” have a way by which they rare held in the mind and in the thinking. It is funny but I have even seen people look under the chairs they were sitting on when I asked them where did the old problem go? This is a lot of fun. Where did the old problem go? It was here and now it’s just not here any longer. What happened?
Honestly, people are so used to carry with them their life problems and unfortunately so used to think there is not much they can do about changing the status quo that when the “problems” go away they’re surprised. They don’t know what to believe. How is this possible?
It is a well-known adage that truth is undefinable; and if someone was to attempt to define “the truth” then the meaning of it would be lost immediately in an attempt to limit the truth to a definition. Well, the verifiable truth is that metaphors work when you know how to develop and deliver them in ways that produce amazing transformational results. The amazing part is that it is easy! People love stories! We all do! Stories have meaning! Meaningful stories produce truthful and verifiable results.
But take note NLP Practitioners: You could develop the world’s greatest metaphor but if you don’t know how to associate a person and light up the neurology pertaining to the problem then you’re just telling a nice story, metaphoric or not. So it’s not only about learning how to use language in the process of creating meaningful metaphors, it’s also about learning that you always deliver metaphors inside the boundaries of problems neurologically.
Here’s an example; have you even felt like you just didn’t belong to one particular place? Just think about that for a moment; I have met people who said to me: “I just feel I don’t belong here!” If you’re one of these people, ask yourself the following question: how did feeling like you didn’t belong affect your whole life up until now? Think about that for a moment and when you can, notice how not belonging at some time and in some way has affected your life. When you’ve done that, read the metaphor below.
Ngunniluk – He, Belonging To The People – Belonging To All Places…
It was a long time ago, a time of the ancestors and the old ancient ways, a time when the great lizards carved mountains through the earth and spoke with whispers telling the elders of secrets. The lizards spoke of what was to come so the ancestors made a plan to regather and reform amongst the stars. With great sadness comes joy and to reform within the light of the stars would bring new life. The ancestors had spoken.
Ngunniluk was the Elder of the seventh tribe sent forth from the stars by the ancestors to gather the knowledge of the past for the future. Ngunniluk travelled many lands from his home on the Nullarbor Plane of outback Australia where he’d created many tracks that had to be concealed because men of ill intent were coming to the lands with hidden spirits. Ngunniluk was a magic man, he was Mabraan.
These people of ill intent were the beings that were called for the healing and awakening of their souls by the Mabraan Men at the seventh tribe in ceremony long ago. The seventh tribe was formed by the leaders of the six tribes, the greatest of great Mabraan Men. These were the very spirits that the Mabraan called in order of the light to transform the universe just as the lizards had told them. The people had ears that could not hear and eyes that would not see; they had legs and yet their spirit did not walk. Many times Ngunniluk and the elders spoke yet they did not listen.
And so it was with great sadness that Ngunniluk and his people could not offer the knowledge of the doorways to hidden places in other worlds and most were closed for the sleeping of Ngunniluk’s dreaming. Ngunniluk and the elders gathered once more and laid great plans. Some stayed behind to guard the last doorways of the worlds and the sacred land while others would leave their physical forms and return to the stars.
Upon returning to the stars Ngunniluk and the elders incarnated many times in order to gather the form of the ones with hidden spirits. The same with no differences. From within Ngunniluk and the elders could awaken the spirits to heal.
Now these people could hear the spirits of Ngunniluk and the elder’s because they had begun to awaken. They began to listen to the stories and finding many truths in what was heard. These people began to think more and more, asking more and more questions and receiving more and more stories that made sense.
History closed in on itself and the people of dis-ease and illness begun healing. Ngunniluk and the elders came to them from the inside because the outside was shut and could not see and did not hear. You could say that long, long ago the elders, Ngunniluk and his people, snuck in for the healing and took on the very illness and dis-ease that were created by the people in order to heal them and awaken them from great slumbers. What use are great healers without great illness to heal?
Now is the time that old doors are open and again Ngunniluk sits around a bush lit fire with his brothers – six on the Nullarbor Plane. Like secrets, Ngunniluk’s whispers can still be heard on the wind for many, many miles over the planes. The spirits sing and the sacred songs fill the skies calling the ancestors to rise again.
Now six fires burn brightly with strength and the six Mabraan men sing everyone to the seventh fire. It is on the inside that these doors were opened and when a door is opened from the inside it is the outside that comes in. Ngunniluk placed another stick on the seventh fire and the stick was placed exactly where a firestick would belong. The firestick burnt bright and the warmth was good.
From the heavens could be seen the seven fires burning brightly on the land below matching the same positions as the Seven Sisters in the stars above, the Pleiades.
Good, now that you’ve read the metaphor, is time to test yourself! Are there any changes in your old feeling that was there? It was a bad feeling wasn’t it? I agree. It was bad! How is it different now?
Ask yourself again; how do I feel now about belonging? At some time in some way, in your past you used to feel that way. Then think about belonging again, this time somewhere in the future. Can you do “not belonging” or…. have you changed now? If you did this correctly at least you should have experienced a change. Maybe the old feeling is not there at all.
Remember, this is just an example of how metaphors can be used and that there is a lot more to learn when it comes to using metaphors purposefully. So metaphors can be great to change the structure of how a problem is “thought of” by the mind. A well delivered metaphor, with the client associated in the problem before hearing the metaphor can have the beneficial effect of having that problem change substantially or even disappear. Therefore, metaphors are useful to transform a person’s model of the world, therefore increasing choices for the person and wholeness in general and that is a good thing. Wouldn’t you agree?
So let’s see:
- Who had a shift? Who didn’t have a shift? (by shift I mean some sort of a change in thinking about the old problem)
- What did you learn? What didn’t you learn? Any thoughts?
- What do you need to know or what new understandings came to mind?
Send in your REPLY to these questions below in the reply box so that I can answer and reply to any comments you may have.
And remember… sunny side up guys!