I’m writing a BeDo Bits newsletter article about playing on the playground and I’m also reminded of how many wonderful metaphors are there that we can perhaps use to inform our coaching.
Sliding down the Slide
I always love the slide. Little slides all the way up to the giant slides. And in the wintertime, we go sledding. In the summer we run down the dunes on the beach. wherever we are and whatever we’re going down, the experience is all the same.
First there’s a lot of going up–usually many steps are involved. It’s hard. There’s sometimes a line that slows it down even more. It takes a long while to get to the top. And when we get there, we might even be a little tired and worn out from the upwards step-by-step journey. However, what keeps us moving is that we know what is waiting for us when we reach the top.
We get to go down.
This is fast and fun, but if you try to stop, you not only could get hurt, but you ruin it for others. It’s exciting and thrilling, that feeling of being slightly out of control, and yet, you’re still safe within the barriers of the slide–the sides designed to keep you in a certain pathway as you race toward the bottom to top speed.
So what’s the metaphor here? The slide. A wonderful thing. We spend our lives working so hard to ascend all sorts of ladders in our lives. The higher we climb, the harder it can be sometimes. And yet, we can’t turn back. Having to go back down the stairs is frustrating, humiliating, embarrassing… and not nearly as much fun. It may be business building, or money or a project. It may be a large giant huge latter in front of us, or a small teeny ladder. Either way, we must ascent one step at a time.
And when we reach the top, when we’ve done all the hard work building our business or our project or developing our coaching confidence and skills, then take a moment to look around. What a view. Then sit down and scootch yourself forward just enough… so… you… can… PLUNGE DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE.
All right gang. It’s your turn. What other slide metaphors can you come up with? (And don’t wait too long because there are a few other PLAYGROUND PONDERABLES coming soon with rides)