Notes from Metaphors that Rock and Your Vision Story (Gabriel and George’s session)

Session leaders: Gabriel and George

Scribe: Allison Quaid

*Note: For those in the session, please add any comments that you feel got left out.  thanks!

• Word (e.g. poetry) and metaphors have power to shape the way people perceive the world
• Universe Story is so big and people are so different, need various metaphors to make sense of it and have wide appeal
• Metaphors are memorable, and can help us to make sense of larger system dynamics
• We construct our reality – what is a metaphor for that?
• Need core metaphors that speak across the divide, e.g.:
  • Power storage
    • If we can efficiently store energy, we have lots of options
    • Lots of stuck power in our corporations – lost human potential
    • Body stores energy – and we need to get it flowing 
    • How can we store energy and allow it to flow when it should?
• Gabriel had goal to bring together electricians (those dealing with energy and storage), body workers, and artists to learn how to make energy flow.
• Metaphor: Consciousness is our oxygen challenger (consciousness as stored power and oxygen as poison throughout evolution until now)
• What is your vision story? make 1-2 minute videos as if it already happened, and seeing that it is possible is powerful
• We need a network to support each other’s work
• Playmates – we need to have partners and a playground for co-creating our future
• Butterfly as a metaphor – imaginal cells unite! See Norrie Huddle’s book for complete metaphor
• We don’t know what our vision will look like, however one way is to tune into our inner calling and follow it.   
• There is  a power of story, you need to find out what is your vision story and what is the network you have in place to support each other
• Your work should be seen as play, and then you know you’re on the right track
• We need to move away from competition to collaboration
  • E.g. open source v. packaged & competitive product
  • Micro-lending is a great example
• Need meta-metaphor for how all butterflies are connected and have a collective impact
• Need metaphor for how small changes individuals make have a larger collective impact (beyond one about a butterfly, since that metaphor doesn’t appeal to masculine and/or other cultures)
• Shift from dirty energy to clean energy could be an example of a metaphor
• Need metaphor that shows global positive change is happening
• Image of being part of something greater than self and which is positive is needed
• Need to convey that it isn’t a sacrifice to live in harmony with planet and be green
• Change starts with self – metaphor of a personal compass
• Faith needed that a positive future will emerge
• Table metaphor – sitting on same side of the table – take table away.
• Chuck and the Amazing Grace – book that has some good metaphors
• Lina Booth Sweeny does children’s stories that make that connections between universe and humans
• www.learningtogive.org is a website that lists folktales and which might have some good metaphors