I love the metaphor using house guests for of feelings, thoughts and at times even metabolic reactions.
It gives a way to reframe situations that likely are emotionally close in a way that allows me to think about them not unlike when I help someone else in our situation: from the ‘outside’ or at least ‘emotionally separated’ position allowing to take a breather and deal with it step by step instead of all at once - fight or flight type in case of domineering emotions.
I love this poem. I think Jeff Foster once said we could imagine these guests as children. Would you bar a child in need from entering the house?
Which is another interesting idea as I think I’ve spent most of my life feeling like a helpless child in a house frequented by big, ‘scary’ adult guests (called fear, anger, depression etc).
My house guests have always seemed domineering and more powerful than me; I couldn’t possibly resist or challenge them, so instead I learned to hide and stay small to avoid their full wrath. (This metaphor is so rich, huh!)
Reflecting on it now, I feel this has shifted somewhat. I feel less like the child, and more separate from the rabble than I did before.
I love and welcome aliveness / energy / passion. I hate depression, ‘not good enough’, ‘I can’t’.
Great reflections. Have to admit mine never seem like children when I'm griped by them and i notice other days they do feel like naughty teens.
I love the metaphor using house guests for of feelings, thoughts and at times even metabolic reactions.
It gives a way to reframe situations that likely are emotionally close in a way that allows me to think about them not unlike when I help someone else in our situation: from the ‘outside’ or at least ‘emotionally separated’ position allowing to take a breather and deal with it step by step instead of all at once - fight or flight type in case of domineering emotions.
I love this poem. I think Jeff Foster once said we could imagine these guests as children. Would you bar a child in need from entering the house?
Which is another interesting idea as I think I’ve spent most of my life feeling like a helpless child in a house frequented by big, ‘scary’ adult guests (called fear, anger, depression etc).
My house guests have always seemed domineering and more powerful than me; I couldn’t possibly resist or challenge them, so instead I learned to hide and stay small to avoid their full wrath. (This metaphor is so rich, huh!)
Reflecting on it now, I feel this has shifted somewhat. I feel less like the child, and more separate from the rabble than I did before.
I love and welcome aliveness / energy / passion. I hate depression, ‘not good enough’, ‘I can’t’.