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Never Mind Your Mind: Metaphors For Our Thoughts
Welcome to our journey of transforming how we relate to our thoughts. Over the last two “Never Mind Your Mind” articles, we’ve explored the nature of the human mind, the Stone Age origins of our thought patterns, and how these ancient mechanisms still shape our modern experience.
With these foundational concepts, let’s consider today’s theme: the transformative power of metaphors.
The Power of Metaphors for Thoughts
The mind generates thoughts that pull us into unnecessary battles. But what if we could shift our perspective entirely?
Enter metaphors for thoughts—simple, illuminating comparisons that offer profound insights into how we can relate to our thoughts differently.
Steve Hayes, a founder of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), offers a metaphor that perfectly encapsulates this idea:
“If our thoughts are like pieces on a chessboard, then in being the chessboard, we needn’t spend our energy caught up in a battle with our thoughts—a battle that we can never win.”
Metaphors for thoughts, like this one, can be transformative tools. They allow us to understand complex ideas through relatable imagery and can change in how we engage with our inner world.
Let’s explore four key metaphors from the Never Mind Your Mind framework. This body of work draws upon the model of ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy), with a particular focus on unhooking from unhelpful thoughts.
1. Thoughts Are Like Billboard Advertisements
Imagine driving along a busy highway, surrounded by billboards. Each advertisement is designed to capture your attention: “Look at me! Try me! Buy me!”
Our thoughts are like these billboards—enticing, persistent, and often irrelevant. As you drive toward your destination, do you stop for every ad? Of course not. You might notice them, but you keep driving, focused on where you want to go.
When you encounter an enticing thought, ask yourself: “Who’s in control of my life right now? Me, or this billboard advertisement?” This metaphor reminds us that we don’t have to buy into every thought our mind advertises.
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2. Hands as Thoughts (Russ Harris)
Let’s try a simple exercise:
Hold your hands up to your face, palms open, as if they’re an open book…
Slowly raise them until they cover your eyes. Now look through the gaps between your fingers—notice how limited your view becomes…
Imagine walking through life like this, with your thoughts obscuring your view of the world…
Now, gradually lower your hands, noticing how much easier it is to connect with what’s around you.
Your thoughts haven’t disappeared—they’re still there—but now you have some distance from them…
This metaphor demonstrates how being fused with our thoughts can limit us, and how creating space allows us to engage more fully with life.
3. Fly Fishing (Richard Whitney)
Picture a trout swimming in a stream. A skilled fly fisher casts a baited hook, imitating a delicious insect. The trout bites—and gets hooked.
Our minds are like expert fly fishers, casting thoughts that feel so real and compelling that we bite without questioning them. Once hooked, we struggle, driving the hook deeper.
By learning to spot these “flies” before biting, we can swim more freely. This metaphor teaches us to recognize thoughts as bait, giving us the freedom to choose whether or not to engage.
4. The Chessboard (Steve Hayes)
Imagine a chessboard. On one side are your positive thoughts; on the other, your negative ones. You spend your energy trying to win, battling to eliminate the negative pieces.
But there are two problems:
1. There’s an infinite supply of positive and negative pieces.
2. The positive pieces attract more negative ones.
What if, instead of battling, you became the chessboard? The board holds space for all the pieces but doesn’t get involved in the game.
This metaphor for thoughts illustrates the power of stepping back and observing our thoughts without getting caught in a futile struggle. By being the chessboard, we make space for our thoughts while focusing our energy on what truly matters.
The Bigger Picture: Metaphors for Thoughts Teach Us Transformation
Metaphors aren’t just about understanding—they’re about transformation. They help us see thoughts not as enemies to be defeated, but as experiences to observe with curiosity and compassion.
In the 12-day audio course, Never Mind Your Mind, I invite you to reflect on how these metaphors, insights, and exercises might influence your relationship with your thoughts. Can you become the chessboard, the driver on the road, or the trout swimming freely in the stream?
By practicing these tools, we begin to loosen the grip of the Stone Age mind, reclaiming our energy for what truly matters: living a meaningful and connected life.
This is the power of metaphors. Welcome to Never Mind Your Mind. Let’s continue this journey together.
Recommended Course:
Never Mind Your Mind (The 12 Day Audio Course) - Deepen your sense of spirituality with insights, tips and tools for unhooking from unhelpful thoughts.
Welcome to Never Mind Your Mind: Reuben’s Circle
Never Mind Your Mind isn’t just a body of work; it’s a community. By taking part, you’re contributing to a positive shift in the world. As you practice unhooking from your thoughts and taking them less seriously, you’re not just changing your life—you’re influencing the lives of those around you.
Join Community: Never Mind Your Mind: Reuben’s Circle in your Aura app.
As I often say, there’s a positive change going on in the world; it all depends on where we focus our attention. Together, we can cultivate a deeper understanding of the human mind and empower ourselves and others to live with greater clarity and compassion. Life is tough, and there is gentleness within it. Let’s all pull through together.
Do you like the sound of this adventure? Not taking our thought so seriously, unless they’re helpful. Having a space to share and get validated.
To access the Never Mind Your Mind community on Aura, simply visit the Aura platform and search for our sanctuary. Join us to experience a welcoming space where resilience and spirituality unite. Here, you’ll find workshops, guided courses and tools to deepen your connection with yourself and others.
Together, we uncover insights, navigate life’s challenges, and grow into our most empowered selves. Start your journey today and be part of this supportive, transformative community.
Welcome to your new community, Never Mind Your Mind: Reuben’s Circle, only on Aura. Let’s get started!
- Join Community: Never Mind Your Mind: Reuben’s Circle in your Aura app, or
- Listen Now: Never Mind Your Mind (The 12 Day Audio Course) - Deepen your sense of spirituality with insights, tips and tools for unhooking from unhelpful thoughts.
There’s a positive change going on in the world. It just depends on where we focus our attention. Thank you for being part of the change.
Reuben www.MindfulCreation.com
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