Explorations of the metaphors contained in your language can often uncover currently hidden perspectives or solutions.
Today's exploration arose when a colleague recently said they weren't on the same page as someone they were working with, and didn't know how to improve the situation.
Logically the idiom means finding common agreement about a situation or solution. The process for doing that however can be fraught with problems. With both sides potentially not wishing to move from their current thinking, and even resisting seeing the other persons point of view or perspective.
Exploring the metaphor may just help uncover some, so far, unconsidered strategies.
Putting the situation, you'd like to get on the same page with someone about, to the back of our mind, let's explore the literal meaning of the words a little more.
Please note: My unconscious is going to notice the things within the metaphor that make the most sense for me at this time, and may be different than the things you notice. You may therefore want to spend some time exploring what not being on the same page means metaphorically to you, before reading my own thoughts.
Here's my thoughts.....
If we're not on the same page as someone it presupposes we're on a different page.
To me the pages are in a book, and therefore the different pages could be in the same chapter, the same book, the same shelf, the same shop/library, the same city or country, or the same world or not.
What are the potential solutions to getting onto the same page in each of the above situations:
Don't worry about how this exploration relates to real life, just explore the different ways we can be on different pages, and the solutions available to moving to being on the same page.
Follow the weird and amusing tangents your mind takes you on.
In metaphors there's no right or wrong, just what your mind brings into your conscious awareness. Laughter is always a great sign of shifts happening, so do please follow any and all absurd and humorous thoughts.
The aim is to find all the potential solutions before applying the real life situation to it. It's as if we're keeping all the real life reasons we're not on the same page out of sight and mind whilst we explore means of finding resolution.
What additional scenarios and potential solutions came to mind for you as you've read this post?
My notes are full of pictures of the above situations, and may certainly have helped my mind make links between very different ideas that currently exist on different pages.
One additional thought - if we wanted everyone to be on the same page about everything we'd just have one book in every shop and library - no variety, no choice, no options! How weird would that be?
Applying the metaphorical insight to the real life situation
Once we've explored the metaphor it's then time to apply the solutions to the current situation, and notice what we notice.
Simply reading the above exploration may have shifted something, which means you're already saying "oh it's not a problem really" or "I can see we're not really that far apart".
There's many ways you can do this:
Personal Example
Here's the strategy that has come to mind for me about a situation where it's apparent it's not just 2 people on different pages but a number of us!!
Situation: Not being on the same page about how to develop and market my business. Lots of people are giving me different advice, and I'm feeling a little resistant to listening to them, and yet know I need to do something different.
Here's the variety of pages people are currently coming from:
Initially I feel the need to put the above pages into books:
Hmmm ..... it already feels less like they're pulling me in different directions because we all have the same goal.
It certainly feels like I'm at least in the same shop, and am drawn to going to the Mind and Body section first, and then over onto the Business section (which is what I always do when I visit a bookshop anyway), with an action plan forming that suggests:
Which means another page, not on the original list, has appeared a page about how to get fit and healthy, and feels like the missing link.
If you'll allow me to mix my metaphors for a moment - not being able to see the wood for the trees about where to take my business is significantly impacted by the health of my mind, body and soul.
If I focus on getting that more balanced, vibrant and flourishing, the route out of the wood will become clearer.
Not where I expected this blog to take me, and yet at the same time such a GREAT example of how using metaphors can help us find the missing link, to take responsibility for what we need to do differently to move from where we are to where we want to be.
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