Here is an example of a simple NLP story which is of course also a metaphor, and an NLP training story about timeline orientation - in time vs through time. With a touch of conversational NLP and hypnosis changework. See if you can track all the patterns in the story, and in the way this NLP story is told. Good luck!

NLP Story:

Timeline Orientation In Time VS Through Time

The Gardener & His Son

by Dr Silvia Hartmann

The gardner and his son were having an argument.

"What a beautiful day! October is my favourite time of year," said the son.

The gardner replied, "That's crazy! Anyone who looks forward to ever shortening days and the freezing cold is crazy! YOU are crazy to say that October is your favourite time of year. Now spring, that's a proper season, that's a time to like the weather, what with summer coming soon ..."

The son was clearly getting angry throughout this speech and to avoid them coming to blows, I held up my hand and said, "I too like October. I too think it's the perfect weather, beautiful, and the sky is never bluer, the sun never more civilised and the air never clearer."

The son was surprised but also very pleased that someone shared his opinions; the father was going to start to argue with me now, but I didn't give him a chance.

I said, "And we like it because it's here, and it feels lovely. We love it for today, not what comes after, for right now."

Both looked at me as though they'd just woken up, looked at each other, then the father said, "I guess that's the way you should always look at the weather, what's right here, and not worry so much about what is to come."

All three of us nodded sagely and all at the same time; then they went back to gardening, and I went back to painting.

SFX

2009