Metaphors: They Are All Around Us
JYOTI GILL, MA, RCC, VITALITY COLLECTIVE
SURRY THERAPIST & REGISTERED CLINICAL COUNSELLOR
Metaphors have been used for eons to help us understand the human experience. Some that might easily spring to mind include “I am an early bird”, “What a couch potato!”, “It was like a roller coaster of emotions”. However, there are some metaphors that we may not necessarily have catchy sayings or idioms for, but that can capture the human experience superbly. One simply needs to look outside their window to find a metaphor that can help them make sense of their experience. You may see a butterfly float by and realize that you too have the power of transformation like this little creature. You can even compare the very act of looking out a window as a reminder that your stuck-ness may not last forever, as there is a whole world out there which can encourage you to look for the window in your life.
Nature is filled with such metaphors and many of these metaphors have been captured beautifully by writers as long as humans have known language. One such metaphor is offered by Mark Nepo, “the flower doesn’t dream of the bee, it blossoms and the bee comes”. This metaphor can be a good reminder for us to focus on our inner work, and to let go of the outcome or expectations for reward. Often humans tend to suffer because they are outwardly focused on attaining “the bee”, the reward for their efforts. Refocusing one’s attention on one’s own “blossoming” can raise self-confidence, and an appreciation for oneself and one’s gifts, so that even if “the bee” does not come, the “blossoming” has been worthwhile.
Another great metaphor is offered by Victor Hugo, “even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise”. This metaphor is similar to a commonly known slogan “it is darkest before dawn”. Both metaphors remind us that our “dark days” will end, and that life is an amalgamation of light and dark. It is a human tendency to ‘catastrophize’ which means to see only the worst possible outcome of a scenario, thus if you are experiencing a negative feeling or any form of “darkness” that is uncomfortable, you may make the inaccurate assumption that this feeling or event will never end. This is a metaphor that encourages us to have faith in ourselves, the universe, or for some people, God.
If we were speaking to a small child who was worried about something, we would likely tell them that “there is light at the end of the tunnel”, knowing that they will feel better, and their worry will pass. However, sometimes we forget that we don’t know everything and that our lives will show us (as they likely have in the past) that “the sun will rise” again. Marine Biologist, Rachel Carson, understood this metaphor when she stated “there is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter”. Living in a rainy city like Vancouver or in the lower mainland, the metaphor of seasons is extremely powerful to remember for people who struggle in the colder winter seasons. The remembrance and reassurance that spring or summer will inevitably come can often be a powerful armour against the bitter cold of the winter.
There are thousands, if not more, of such metaphors that are available to us. We can look to butterflies and moths to be reminded that transformation requires a pause, a stage of cocooning where your internal thoughts and patterns are being changed before you emerge as a new version of yourself. We can look to trees to understand our own depths as our roots reach down to be nourished by forces that are unknown to us, and remember that perhaps our ancestors or hidden parts of our psyche nourish us in similar ways. We can look to the sky on a stormy day and remember that behind the clouds, the rain, and the thunder there exists an expansiveness that can never be altered, reminding us that our emotions, moods, and challenges will pass, and we can open-mindedly observe them from the expansive space within us.
We can be reminded that behind all of our thoughts, feelings and experiences, there is a clear blue sky that does not change, giving us the inspiration to see ourselves as bigger than the things that happen to us. The stream of the river that breaks through the mountain can remind us that our soft water-like ability can cut through even the hardest aspects of our lives. I encourage you to pay attention to these metaphors that are all around you, as nature carries immense wisdom that is simply waiting to be noticed. Perhaps on your next walk, you will create your own metaphor that will help you make sense of a problem, or answer a question you might have had.