11 Powerful Metaphors About Life That Will Inspire You!

I was driving the other day and heard a story on the news that made me shake my head.

According 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. Apparently, he reported $1,000,000 in federal income tax withheld even though he earned less than $20,000 in wages!

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!

They are one of the great figures of speech. Simply put, metaphors help us make comparisons between two things in an indirect manner. 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)”

For example, saying so-and-so is a lion is saying they are fearless and brave, without saying it directly.

A definition I like better is one that comes from Rebecca McLanahan,

“Effective metaphor does more than shed light on the two things being compared. It actually brings to the mind’s eye something that has never before been seen. It’s not just the marriage ceremony linking two things; it’s the child born from the union.” ¹

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.

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.

But, Let’s Not Confuse Metaphors with Similes and Analogies

While they are closely related, there is a slight difference between metaphors, similes, and analogies:

Similes: similes are figures of speech where you liken one thing to something that is dissimilar by using the words “like”, “as”, etc.  Whereas a metaphor says A is linked to B, a simile says A is similar to B. For example, “She was shaking like a leaf.”

Analogies: analogies are “a comparison of two otherwise unlike things based on the resemblance of a particular aspect”. 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, “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…

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. 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

Your thoughts create your actions (and your feelings for that matter).

Make it actionable: Think better thoughts to create better actions (and feelings).

(2)  “People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity.” -John Adams

 Going through adversity can make you stronger.

 Make it actionable:  Look for the positive aspects of the adversities you go through.

 (3) “Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.” -W. H. Auden

Meaning we know death is in the distance, but it’s just far enough away that we don’t pay it much attention.

 Make it actionable:  Live every day to its fullest.

(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)

 Being self-disciplined is not always fun, but in the end, it pays off.

 Make it actionable:  When being self-disciplined seems tough, remind yourself it will be worth it.

 (5)  Half the failures in life arise from pulling in one’s horse as he is leaping. -Julius C. & Augustus W. Hare

Many people quit way too soon and oftentimes right before they may have had a breakthrough.

Make it actionable: Keep persisting through the difficult times.

(6)  Treat your friends as you do your pictures, and place them in their best light. -Jennie Jerome Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill

Oftentimes we are too critical with our friends.

Make it actionable: Look for the best qualities in your friends instead of focusing on their negative aspects.

(7)  Humor is a universal solvent against the abrasive elements of life.-Alan K. Simpson, in the eulogy at the funeral of President George H. W. Bush

Humor can help ease the difficult times in life.

Make it actionable: Try using humor to lift your own or other’s spirits.

(8) Imagination is a good servant and a bad master. -Agatha Christie

 Imagination can be useful but don’t get consumed by it.

Make it actionable: Use your imagination at the right times to help foster creativity. Be wary of using it too much, i.e. daydreaming at work, that it impedes you getting stuff done.

(9)  If one considered life as a simple loan, one would perhaps be less exacting. We possess actually nothing; everything goes through us. -Eugène Delacroix

Everything we think we ‘possess’ we are just ‘borrowing’ while we are here on earth.

Make it actionable: Be careful not to be too materialistic. Same goes for people, you don’t ‘possess’ anyone.

(10) A book is a box brimming with incendiary material. The reader strikes the match. -Erica Jong

The material in books can help light many fires in your life.

Make it actionable: Read, think about what you read, and discuss and debate with others.

(11)  That which we call sin in others, is experiment for us. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are often much quicker to judge others than we are ourselves.

Make it actionable: Hold yourself to a higher standard than others.

That’s it for our 11 metaphors about life. What do you think? Were there any that you liked more than others? Do you have any favorite metaphors about life that you would like to add? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Back to the Guy in the Introduction…

According to Local10.com: “The complaint said Blanchett deposited the money into two SunTrust accounts, then was given a cashier’s check for the $980,000 after his funds were frozen for suspected fraud in May 2018. He then opened a Grow Financial Money Market account in July by depositing the cashier’s check, claiming the money was from “the estate of his deceased father,” according to the complaint.”

Yikes!

On that note, I gotta run as I need to deposit a check before it closes, which reminds me of another metaphor…

“A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain.”

Thank God it’s not rainy season in Miami yet!

Until next time, keep thinking about those great metaphors on life, and as always…PYMFP!
–Rick

When to Use It – Metaphors About Life

Use these metaphors about life to reflect on life and make you think differently.

What Do You Think?

Do any of these metaphors about life resonate with you more than the others? Do you have any other favorite metaphors about life? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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References

https://www.local10.com/news/florida/florida-man-receives-980-000-tax-refund-after-reporting-18-497-in-wages

1 https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1175765

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