Make it actionable: Keep persisting through the difficult times. Many people quit way too soon and oftentimes right before they may have had a breakthrough. (5) Half the failures in life arise from pulling in one’s horse as he is leaping. -Julius C. Make it actionable: When being self-disciplined seems tough, remind yourself it will be worth it. (4) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. -The Bible-Hebrews 12:11 (RSV)īeing self-disciplined is not always fun, but in the end, it pays off. Make it actionable: Live every day to its fullest. Meaning we know death is in the distance, but it’s just far enough away that we don’t pay it much attention. (3) “Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.” -W. Make it actionable: Look for the positive aspects of the adversities you go through. Going through adversity can make you stronger. (2) “People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity.” -John Adams Make it actionable: Think better thoughts to create better actions (and feelings). Your thoughts create your actions (and your feelings for that matter). If you have a different interpretation of any of the metaphors about life or how they can be made actionable, please share them in the comments below! (1) “The ancestor of every action is a thought.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Let’s take a look at some great metaphors about life! As always, I will give my interpretation of the metaphor and suggest how we can make it actionable in our lives. For example, “Just as a Sword is the Weapon of a Warrior, a Laptop is the Weapon of a Blogger!” Ok, Now That We All Understand Those Differences… So, metaphors say A is linked to B, similes say A is similar to B and analogies say A is to B as C is to D. For example, “She was shaking like a leaf.”Īnalogies: analogies are “a comparison of two otherwise unlike things based on the resemblance of a particular aspect”.
Whereas a metaphor says A is linked to B, a simile says A is similar to B. Similes: similes are figures of speech where you liken one thing to something that is dissimilar by using the words “like”, “as”, etc. While they are closely related, there is a slight difference between metaphors, similes, and analogies: But, Let’s Not Confuse Metaphors with Similes and Analogies The fun thing about metaphors is that the “A is linked to B” proclamation is not explicitly stated, we need to use our reasoning skills to figure out the meaning of the metaphor. The important thing to note from McLanahan’s metaphor about metaphors is that it’s not just the act of comparison, but the result of the comparison that makes metaphors so extraordinary. It’s not just the marriage ceremony linking two things it’s the child born from the union.” 1 It actually brings to the mind’s eye something that has never before been seen. “Effective metaphor does more than shed light on the two things being compared. According to Merriam-Webster, a metaphor is “a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money)”įor example, saying so-and-so is a lion is saying they are fearless and brave, without saying it directly.Ī definition I like better is one that comes from Rebecca McLanahan, Simply put, metaphors help us make comparisons between two things in an indirect manner. They are one of the great figures of speech. Hearing that story immediately made me think of one of my favorite metaphors about life: “No matter how big a hammer you use – you can’t pound common sense into stupid people!” Ah, metaphors! Apparently, he reported $1,000,000 in federal income tax withheld even though he earned less than $20,000 in wages!
I was driving the other day and heard a story on the news that made me shake my head.Īccording to a criminal complaint filed in Tampa, Florida, some guy is in a bit of trouble after he received a $980,000 tax refund based on a false tax return that he submitted.