As part of the master’s program I completed at Concordia University, my classmates and I were immersed in a weeklong coaching intensive. Mid-week, we were given metaphors of our “current way of being” and a “new way of being” for our stated goals. As my future potential, my coach-classmate offered me: The Reflective Heron.​

 

I live near a lake where herons nest, so I often see them. Sometimes they fly low, their long bodies mirrored in the surface of the water. Other times, they fly high above, covering great distances despite the slow rhythm of their wingbeats. The sound captures my attention, causing me to look up at the sky in delight. “Whoomph. Whoomph.”​​

 

Great Blue Herons are reminiscent of ancient creatures, yet also sleek and graceful. Although much larger than most birds in this region, their skillful stillness makes them successful at hunting and hiding. Imagining them evokes so much meaning in me, so much that I also aim to be.

 

That is the power of metaphor.