An example of a metaphor is,
You are my sunshine.
If you were to say this to one of your family members,
It would mean,
Just like the sun brings warmth and happiness to someone's life,
Your loved one does the same,
By bringing warmth and happiness to your day.
So,
A metaphor is a comparison between two things that share a common characteristic.
One thing feels equal to another because it has this characteristic.
Metaphors can be an incredibly effective way of helping us make space for our unhelpful thoughts.
They help us take perspective.
It's that very perspective that changes the way we relate to them.
This perspective helps us see thoughts for what they are,
Just thoughts.
Billboard advertisements.
Billboard advertisements is a metaphor that I wrote to illuminate the enticing nature of our thoughts,
And how they tend to pull us in.
That is,
Despite whether these thoughts are helpful or unhelpful.
They are so enticing.
Depending on where you are in the world,
You'll experience driving along a freeway,
Or a motorway,
Or a highway.
Basically any large road that carries cars along it.
And when there are large roads,
There are usually huge billboards.
All adverts are designed to capture our attention,
Including these billboard advertisements that we see along these busy main roads.
The mind is very skilled at enticing us into being identified with our thoughts.
That's its job.
It's designed to be that way.
Our thoughts are like billboard advertisements along the side of the road,
As you're driving along in the direction that you want your life to be going in.
Look at me.
Try me.
Buy me.
But,
As you are driving towards your destination,
Do you give energy to all of those products that they are advertising to you?
Do you get sucked into them and take them seriously most of the time?
No.
So why should we buy these automatic thoughts that are designed by our mind like billboard advertisements,
So much so that they can even control our lives?
So,
As you're driving along the road of life,
Towards something important,
A good question to ask yourself is,
Who's in control of my life right now?
Me,
In this direction I'm driving in,
Or this billboard advertisement?
Over the next 24 hours,
Go over this metaphor.
Have it in your mind.
Maybe even embellish it a little bit,
So it's even more vivid.
See how and when it pops up.
Notice what happens.
