I serendipitously came across this phrase that I thought would make a good title. It is the first line of a poem from the very late 1800s. The first two lines are:

The wine that only the eyes can drink
Pours from the moon in waves at nightfall

Somehow, these two lines grabbed my attention. I thought about the power of this imagery.

Anything with the words wine and drink will catch and hold my attention. But the image of moonlight flowing down to earth like a river and coming to rest on my eyes in the dark of night – well, it impacted me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

This got me thinking about other metaphors, clever wording and imagery to make a thought stick.

Here are a few that I rely on.

Say, yes, more often. I like this wording for its simplicity. I can remember it perfectly! It leaves room for discretion. It doesn’t state that I should say yes every time – just more often. When I sometimes quickly think a no, no thanks, or that’s not for me, etc., I try to pause and think, why not? Sometimes I change my mind, and sometimes not. So far, I’ve never regretted the adventures I ended up taking with a change of heart and mind.

I only need one. I like this wording, again, for its simplicity. I found it floating around in my mind when I drove to the free parking beside the LRT (subway) station. The lot looked full. The car ahead turned to the right looking for a spot close to the station. I turned to the left. The entrance to the lot was slightly raised, and as I entered, I spotted one empty stall in the very last row.

Now I use the phrase in a broader scope when the desired resource is scarce; other parking searches, a physical line or online for concert tickets, and giveaways for tee shirts at various events. It makes the stress of the moment melt away.

Last, but not necessarily least – will this make me much happier? Short and sweet. (I’m seeing a pattern here.) I use this mainly in the context of impulse buys or second helpings.

Please give this a bit of a think. What metaphors, clever wording and imagery do you have handy? When did you first and last use it?

I’m curious about your thoughts. Please share your bit of a think in the comment section below. It will come to me for approval before posting.

Photo by Apolo Photographer on Unsplash

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