Waiting: Acquiring Patience Through Metaphors: Part Three

You can read Parts One and Two HERE.

As a kid I loved the stories of the Greek gods and heroes. I was particularly fond of Alexander the Great. I think I had a kind of crush on him. Of course, at eight or nine, there things I didn't know, mostly that he could be quite brutal. But there was also something different about him. For all his bloody warring, he was the first to recognize that different cultures had different things to offer. He didn't force conquered people to acquire the Macedonian/Greek way of living. Rather he incorporated the best from all the cultures, enriching the world in a way that had never happened before.

Legend said whoever unraveled or solved the puzzle of the Gordian Knot would become the ruler of the world. For Alexander that challenge must have been right up his alley. He approached the problem by thinking outside the box. Where others had tried to find a way to unravel it, Alexander simply whipped out his sword and hacked the knot to pieces!

            

All of us have moments of feeling tangled up inside. Maybe it's life problems, maybe it's plot lines. This is when a little mental imaging might help. Picture Alexander’s sword in your hands. Picture your problem as a tangled mess. Picture yourself wielding that sword of his and hacking that tangle into small manageable pieces.

            

Most times there should be a relaxation of tension. The problem may not have been solved, but it is a way to begin the process of opening yourself up to thinking outside the box. It's a way of helping you see smaller solutions to smaller problems. It's a way of not looking at the HUGE monster in front of you and instead seeing a mouse. Or if mice bother you, seeing an ant.

Do you ever use imagery to relax? Do you have a favorite Greek hero or myth?