So this particular lecture or lesson is going to be actually in the form of an exercise. It's an animal metaphor exercise. Sometimes it's easier to explain difficult or emotional situations or dilemmas through somewhat gentler means rather than directly or looking particularly a particular image. But it can help us understand certain dynamics, certain patterns of behavior or patterns of belief even, or the expression thereof. And so, what we're going to do is is metaphorical exercise because it makes it a little gentler. The situation or the dilemma is less threatening, and that's important as well.

We don't want anyone heading off into any traumatic experiences, but when we can see it from a safe vantage point, why we may have drawn certain things into our lives. It's one of the reasons we have fables. We have stories and we have metaphors. So this one's going to be an animal metaphor. Exercise. metaphors are read this way metaphors provide us with an ability to safely See, observe self reflect, distance from and absorb our thoughts, beliefs and behaviors, which in turn, provides a means to become less fearful and move forward in directions of true choice.

Metaphor provides the ability to observe our own patterns, attractions and dilemmas to get to the point of establishing and owning the unfinished business. Now, to give you an example of that, I did have a client for instance, who had a number of marriages for I think it was in fact, and this client couldn't understand why she had in each of those marriages seemingly attracted an alcoholic. And so for her, we received a look at that. And through the means of doing this she realized what that was about. We can ask ourselves in a sense, you know, have we got some patents or we're not comfortable with this particular lady recognize that, in fact, when she grew up in the family she grew up with, she was a caretaker for a father. And so what she hadn't really bought herself up to date where there was the fact that she had done a fabulous job.

But it was over she was no longer needing to fill a void as another caregiver, for instance. So that's what it enabled her to understand. And we put it in such a form, such as this animal metaphor, that she was able to realize why she was attracting certain people into her life and why she kept going back to old familiar patterns of caretaking. So let's get into that. So I'm going to ask you to sit back relax as much as possible given the circumstances and I'm going to be directing you through this. So Here we go.

So close your eyes if you would and go inside for a moment. What I'm going to ask you to do is ask for the image or an image of an animal that to you represents your maleness if you're a male, or represents your female ness, if you are a female and allow yourself to just see whatever animal comes to mind. Once you have that image in mind, put that image aside for a moment. And then go inside again and ask now for an animal an image of an animal that To you represents the opposite gender. Take whatever time it needs from once you have that other image inside, in your mind's eye and I'm going to ask now that you stay focused inside and observe those two animals in some form of interaction. And do that for a couple of minutes or until I suggest otherwise.

What I'm going to ask you to do, because this can be an exercise, of course that you can do in the comfort of your own home, is maybe take this exercise with you, in terms of sitting at home by yourself maybe in a safer place, maybe in a more comfortable place, maybe in a place of relaxation. I just wanted you to take you through that for a moment. And then what would happen once you come through a couple of minutes, or you notice as a shift the unit just take the next 20 or 30 seconds or so at the end of those few minutes of observing the interaction between both animals to allow the scene to come to some sense of closure, whatever that might mean to you. So I'm just reminding you that you've asked inside for an image of an animal that to you represents your maleness or femaleness.

Hopefully you've established what that animal is, then you've asked for the image of an animal that represents the opposite gender, then you've stepped back in your mind and you've observed the two of them in some form of interaction. And you allow yourself to watch that for a couple of minutes. And then you take 20 or 30 seconds to allow that scene to come to some sense of closure, again, depending on whatever that might mean for you. So following the completion of the scene, I would ask that you then check a few things, make notes. Normally with a client, I would make these notes but I would ask you to, obviously for yourself, what animal represented your maleness femaleness then bought animal represented the opposite gender, make a note of that. Then ask yourself What do you consider to be the characteristics of the animal that represented your own gender?

What represented the characteristics of the animal, the rock represented the opposite gender? What actually happened in the scene the interaction and what happened to bring it to some sense of completion? Then you can ask, so, how did it leave you feeling? So, I would ask does it hold any confusion for you? Does he explain anything or does it confuse you? Do you have any understanding as to why these particular animals will show up?

Could you relate to the characteristics At the animals who do you believe was the first particular animal to come into your life of the opposite gender so to speak the meaning animal in their imagery that represented the opposite gender? Did the manner in which the scene closed have any correlation to what is or has happened in your own life? Do you notice any patterns any themes that have played out in your own life? Any gender relationship patterns? Some people say oh, it reminds me of my relationship with my dad, my husband or vice versa, in terms of a female to a male. I would ask you to self analyze your you know yourself better than anybody.

But is there any animal this becomes the next part of it is, is there any animal you would choose to be? which one would it be? And why? What characteristics would you want to take on? Because you see, often we're acting out without recognizing that we may not be acting out authentically. And remember, that's the purpose of this particular course.

So I you just reacting to life based on an expectation could be someone else's, could be a role that you're playing. Remember what I said about a lady who have married a number of alcoholics. So you can figure out whether you're living according to the path of your own true beliefs or if you're living like what I would call recessionary caterpillars. So I mentioned about that client, and remember that was a need to fill a void, because she had been so used to a caregiving position, so I'm going to read you something about recessionary caterpillars. Again, it's a bit of an analogy or metaphor, precession caterpillars feed upon pine needles. They move through the trees and along precession, one leading and the others following each with his eyes half closed in his head snotty fitted against the rear extremity of his predecessor, Sean Henry fabray, the great French naturally stopped patiently experimenting with a group of the caterpillars finally entice them to the rim of a large flowerpot.

He succeeded in getting the first one connected up to the last one that's forming a complete circle, which started moving around in a procession with neither beginning nor end. The nature list expected that after a while, they will catch on to the joke, getting tired of their useless March and start off in some new direction. But not so. through sheer force of habit. The Living creeping circle kept moving around the rim of the pot around and around, keeping the same relentless pace for seven days and seven nights, and would doubtless have continued longer had it not been for sheer exhaustion and ultimate star. Incidentally, an ample supply of food was close at hand and plainly visible, but it was outside the range of the circle.

So they continued along the beaten path. They were following instinct, habit, custom, tradition, precedent, past experience, standard practice, or whatever you may call, choose to call it but they were following it blindly. They meant well, but got no place. So that's food for thought. I hope you will allow yourself to do this animal metaphor exercise to establish whether there are patents that you are comfortable in continuing because it's an animal of choice with all the characteristics you desire, or whether you would like to actually become something else. Again, it's a metaphor, but it gives you the patents to recognize what you can let go of or what you can head towards.

Thanks very much.