Metaphors ~ you hear metaphors everywhere. We speak so much in metaphors and in yet another re-read of Steven Heller’s book Monsters & Magical Sticks ‘There’s no such thing as hypnosis’ this jumped out at me. It did really ~ it leapt off the page! And being so interested in beliefs and values and our ability to change I believe it would be okay to reproducing this here is.
ROSEBUSHES
Once upon a time there were two little rose bushes named Judy and Jim. These rose bushes were comfortable in a nursery when two people came in and took Judy, claiming they were expert gardeners and knew a great deal about rose bushes-and they did. They planted Judy in rich soil with the best combination of sunshine, water and nourishment. They kept the weeds and bugs away and handled Judy with kindness. Judy flourished and grew big and beautiful roses, and if rose bushes could feel, Judy was happy. Two other people went to the nursery and took Jim, stating they were expert gardeners and knew everything about roses. But, they were really pizza kings from Chicago. They planted Jim in sandy, salty soil, with too much heat in the day and too much cold in the night. They watered Jim too much and then too little, and they did nothing about the weeds and bugs. In spite of these things, Jim survived but was wilted, stunted and sorry looking. Jim looked across the field at Judy and saw her beauty and decided (if a rose bush can decide) that the problem was he was just basically defective and no damn good.
Now, dear reader, if you could talk to a rose bush, I’m confident you would say, “Jim, it’s not you! The experts were not experts, and it’s your environment that’s the problem.” But, to what purpose? A little rose bush can’t walk, drive a car or work. However, time goes by and Jim, by hook end by crook, learns to walk, talk, drive a car and work. He pulls himself out of the crummy environment and moves to where Judy is: the rich fertile environment and guess what? Wrong! Jim continues to wilt, and grow little, ugly roses. Jim is so convinced that he’s defective that he decided, “What’s the use? It wouldn’t do any good to even try.” In addition, he carries his past environment with him and “knows” that the rich environment doesn’t exist. Well, what can you expect from a rose bush?
MONKEY BUSINESS
This is a story for another day………………………………..
Enjoy every heartbeat
Paul