The Magic of Metaphorical Thinking

Ona brilliant and almost blindingly sunny morning, we awoke to three inches of fresh crystalline snow blanketing our mountain landscape, gently weighing down the yearling trees that are spreading throughout the meadow. It was a day that would prove to be a vibrant celebration of nature in its apparent beauty and mysterious phenomena.

“More sledding!” my son shouted excitedly as he pressed his face against the icy window, the sun streaming in rippling waves above his white-blonde head.

My husband rushed in with firewood from this chilly start to the day. “Aurora, look!” he exclaimed. “Fresh fox tracks all around the house; they wind up to the garage and out beyond the old outhouse!”

I scrambled up from the couch, knocking two green pillows to the ground, and spotted the fox tracks winding around our muddy Silverado, making their way over to where our beloved squirrel family has been peacefully hibernating since the bizarre snowstorm in September. I pulled on my navy blue snow pants and boots as my husband and son were finishing up breakfast, adjusting my winter hat down over my ears, and went outside to get a closer look at the fresh tracks.

I wasn’t expecting the joyful elation that I felt when I began to follow the winding trail around our property that we recently fenced in.

Then it came to my immediate realization that our souls, both human and animal, are sustained and enriched when we remember our deep and persevering connection to all of life. And in this uncommonly vast realization, we pause, look around, and remember that we have always been interconnected, even in the absence of this conscious notion.

Hmm, how could these fox trails be a metaphor for life? I wondered.

The shrill cry of Inky the crow jolted me out of this introspective reverie.

Back to the fox tracks; what treasure would they lead to?

I followed the firm yet delicate paw prints up to the ledge, where I could make out the imprint of each paw pad, and then up to the bunny grove, where a family of beautiful white hares lives. The fox was looking for a meal, first at the squirrel den and now the bunny grove.

Where will this wonderfully improbable path go next? I mused.

Because just like life, we are always wondering where we will travel to next—both literally and figuratively. And asking what adventure or journey will beckon to us beyond the scope of our current vision.

We ponder our journey while asking, What path is for us? Are we on the right track? Where should we go next?

Now, this clever fox had a mission on its wonderfully winding path. Perhaps it was a mission of survival, a quest out of habit, or possibly just for the sheer joy of it.

There was an obvious path winding up to the garage by the robin’s nest and down into the field where vole holes cover the gently sloping meadow. The tracks went right up to the largest concave hole. Our fox was looking for a meal, indeed.

Then I thought about how I was following the foxes tracks just a few hours after they were Right Here. Where would they go next? The naturalist in me jumped for joy.

Quickly and with a sense of immediate purpose, I continued down to the fence, where the tracks stopped by a climbing tree, and then continued outside the fence.

Aglow with equal parts wisdom and wonder, I gave gratitude that the foxes still felt safe enough to share their intimate enchantment with us, touching on the precipice of the mythic and the primitive. And much like life itself, we weave our quiet trails, often blazing new paths and placing our footsteps beside others on the same path of discovery and fulfillment.

Wow, they are still here, probably more than we know! I realized, guided by instinct and perhaps a fleeting sense of safety in our enclosed property. I wondered how often foxes visited without leaving a trace, and how this was a metaphor for life and the many journeys that we take, guided by survival, curiosity, hunger for knowledge, companionship, or fulfillment.

What Are Metaphors for Life?

Metaphors are figures of speech that equate one thing with another in order to provide a deeper figurative meaning. And metaphors for life enable us to compare life to other things in order to help us think about our lives in a creative and empowering way.

Collectively, metaphors can help us make sense of life and possibly promote healthy ways of thinking. We begin to have a more profound and immediate grasp of the underlying interconnectedness of our experience, rich with hidden meaning and messages.

When we take abstract notions like our journey or purpose and pair them with earthly metaphors that guide, sustain, and enlighten our paths, the result is a deep realization that we are all connected, whether our species or others, to nature, Mother Earth, and even other galaxies.

Really, what we do affects the whole.

Below is a non-exhaustive list to guide us into the hidden human psyche of metaphors and meaning:

1. A Journey

A journey is a frequently used metaphor for life because it reminds us to appreciate the present moment and not put all our hopes and dreams onto the end goal alone. The beauty is in the journey, like seeing the individual trees that make up the forest.

We know that, when we undertake any journey, many times the path will be clear and straightforward, but other times the road may fork, change, or even momentarily stop, asking us to embark upon a new journey. Twists, turns, and potholes can all change our life for the better if we choose, because who knows what lies around the corner of a detour?

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” —Heraclitus

2. A Mission

Seeing life as a great mission tends to be a mixed bag of both negative and positive.

If we view our life as a mission, we may wish to share our wisdom and talents with the world. But we must be careful not to assume the position of always believing that we are right or that we know the all-encompassing truth to life. There are so many!

Viewing life as a great metaphor for our mission can also provide a platform to bring light, positivity, and beautiful change into the world.

“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.” —Gandhi

3. An Adventure

If we view life as a great adventure, we love the pitfalls along with the triumphs because this gives our life a zest and excitement for more. Living life from an adventurous standpoint means that we go through our days courageously, wondering what wonderful things we will encounter next, and like all true adventures, we don’t know the ending.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” —Helen Keller

4. Tending a Garden

This is a metaphor for life that can help us practice self-care.

If we view life as a garden, we may see our relationship with ourselves, family, and friends as something to be tended to in order to flourish, just like plants and flowers.

And all relationships, like vegetables, need care. They need water, good soil, and sunshine. Sometimes, they don’t flourish in our garden, just like tomatoes in the hot Colorado sun, and we decide to plant something else or rethink our approach to cultivation. And just like every plant in a garden is unique, so are our relationships and lives.

When we care for our internal garden, our harvest is much more bountiful because we catch problems like weeds or insects before they get out of hand, resulting in a fruitful, well-rounded garden, or life.

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” —Robert Louis Stevenson

Final Thoughts:

As we travel through space and time, our human spirits will always try to make sense of life and attribute meaning to its mysteries. Making metaphors out of life is just one way to do this in all our tremendous capacity.

When it comes to choosing our metaphors for life, remember that there are no limitations because life is anything that we can conceive, shaped by our perspective and persona, all making room for the spirit to flourish.

Life can be a rollercoaster, prison, battle, mountain climb, play, race, courtroom, classroom, or anything else in the vast spectrum of our psyche.

What metaphors for life resonate with you?