We all have issues facing us. And we usually have choices in dealing with them. We could be weighed down by ‘problems’ or in many cases we could creatively find solutions. I’m not talking about serious ‘life and death’ issues, but rather about the worries that constantly niggle, like puppies biting at our ankles.
Often it helps to have a tangible metaphor for dealing with our ‘troubles’. When I was an instructor for an international organisation, part of the course involved encouraging participants to deal with problems in a constructive way. We asked them to imagine that they were putting their worries into a paper bag, tying them up tightly, and then promising themselves that they’d forget about them until a pre-determined day of the week – for example, Thursday. By the time Thursday came, the ‘problem’ had often diminished into nothingness.
I have another metaphor to share. Years ago at the gift shop at United Nations in New York, I bought some Guatemalan ‘worry dolls'. These have been very useful for my clients for and me!
The instructions read: ‘There is a legend amongst the highland Indian villages of Guatemala. If you have a problem then share it with a Worry-doll. Before going to bed, tell one worry to each doll, then place them beneath your pillow. Whilst you sleep the dolls will take your worries away.’
They forgot to mention that you need to put the dolls back into their bag before putting them under your pillow! With each doll being less than two centimetres tall, it might be difficult to find them in the morning!
The amazing thing is that by morning, the worries haven’t necessarily gone away. Mostly they have turned into challenges and it is easier to find creative solutions.
My question for you is:
What metaphor can you use in order to make your worries more manageable?
‘Don’t worry, be happy’. Life will be less stressful and you’ll achieve so much more as you can use your energy for more important activities.
For more information on Executive Coaching or Keynote Speaking please contact Brenda on brenda@146.66.90.172 or +27 82 4993311.
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