“Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived an enormous giant. He was at least ten feet tall, with a mane of red hair and a beard, and in his hand he carried a mighty axe-¦”
Did the above grab your attention? Actually, it captivates and enthrals the majority of us. We are in love with stories. This love affair started when we were babies. And it waxes stronger as we grow older. This is why we troop to the cinema daily. It is the reason we spend endless hours watching soaps on TV. It is the reason why -˜The Sun' and the -˜News of the World' are the biggest selling newspapers in the UK. We even take it further, when we have not heard enough stories during our waking hours, we search for some more in our sleep, we call those dreams.
Story telling is an effective vehicle to deliver messages to the subconscious where the -˜aha's of change take place. Stories and metaphors work together. They are so powerful because metaphors parallel life; the story is dynamic because it captivates. Their combination activates in the listener's subconscious and the message is better absorbed. It has been suggested that if a picture is worth a thousand words, then perhaps we can regard metaphors as being worth a thousand pictures. (I am not good with maths so I'll let you to do the sums yourselves!)
In The Power of Metaphor you have a great tool to help clients understand their situation better. The seventeen chapters in the book give you ideas and examples of ways to use metaphors on such life issues such as: fear; leaving the past behind; taking control; rising above limitations; reconciliation; differentiating between needs and wants etc.
Friends, make yourself the coach everybody wants to hire, build your repertoire of metaphors, buy, read and use this wonderful book to unleash the power within your clients! May the wisdom of old dwell with and enrich your reservoir of metaphors.