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"Think of yourself as a bus" - article re a bus metaphor for how to view and live one's life...

Very nice, and a short read, too. I particularly like this which I reeeeeally need to embrace much more consistently:

"You can either be on your bus counting the seconds until you get there, or you can try to make the most of the journey too. Look out the window - ask for directions if you need to. If we appreciate the journey itself, life will be smoother and more enjoyable."
 
BloodMoon said:
I believe this bus metaphor is used in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). I'm finding the metaphor (personally, I just love a metaphor! :)) really helpful, so I thought I'd share in case it will appeal to anyone else...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/articles/czj4pldxr88o (Feeling stuck in life? A simple guide to getting back on track)
Click to expand...

I like this because it’s pretty similar to what I already picture going on in my head….this may be a little childish so hold on to your butts, but it actually helps me sort through my feelings and feel less “alone” if that makes sense.

Inside my imagination is a city populated by all my favorite characters from all my favorite things. I’m the “boss/exec/president” who is in charge of keeping them all safe, calming them down when something scary happens, and cheering them up when they need it. When I have to make a decision and get “stuck” on it for days/weeks, I imagine that my feelings are just all those characters having debates/protests or a “family meeting” type thing over what to do, with everyone having a different opinion. When I finally decide what I want to do, that means the characters who supported that decision “won” the debate. Then it’s up to me (the boss) to make the final decision happen and actually do it. This all sounds SO stupid writing out like this, but the article you posted makes me feel a little less stupid about it:)

Even in my journal (I haven’t attempted JournalSpeak yet but I have been just casually journaling in a “talk about your day” way to try and get into the habit), I always start my entry with “hey gang” and end with “goodnight gang” and use phrases like “we/us/we got this” etc. And yes I know there’s not actually more than one person there - I’m not hearing or seeing things, just comforting myself using some good healthy imagination:)

(I only say this cause I had a classmate a few years ago who would talk to himself without realizing it - he was an artist and would just get so caught up in imagining scenes/scripts he was going to draw or write that he’d be saying the dialogue under his breath without realizing it lol - and a teacher got concerned because they thought he was hallucinating XD. I don’t want ya’ll to think/worry the same thing about me because that’s absolutely not the case here lol)
 
Around here, anything goes. AKA whatever works! Getting in touch with your younger (much younger) self and using childhood imagery is in fact entirely appropriate, as you'll learn the more you get into the work.
 
@lucky_li0n_d@wg As @JanAtheCPA says, anything goes! :)

I asked perplexity.ai to compare and contrast what you have described that you do, with the Acceptance and Commitment bus metaphor in the BBC article. I think you will find yourself quite impressed with yourself! :) (It points out only one caveat to be aware of, which I have emboldened.) ...

"The description you shared about imagining your feelings and decision-making process as a city with favorite characters debating, and yourself as the "boss" managing them, is a vivid and creative mental metaphor that helps you sort your emotions and feel less alone. Although it might seem childish at first glance, it is actually a useful internal strategy to frame complex thoughts and feelings in a manageable, relatable way.

The BBC article "Feeling stuck in life? A simple guide to getting back on track" by Dr. Fatoumata Jatta discusses feeling stuck in life and offers practical tips such as surrendering to the feeling, allowing yourself enjoyment, and expressing yourself through writing. While the article doesn't specifically mention the metaphor of characters as feelings, it validates that mental strategies of externalizing and organizing internal conflict—like your imaginary city and characters—are helpful for managing stuck feelings and decision paralysis.

Your metaphor has similarities with other psychological concepts:
  • Using imaginary characters as proxies for emotions and internal conflicts can be seen as a form of internal dialogue or a "family meeting" of parts, a technique sometimes encouraged in therapeutic modalities such as Internal Family Systems (IFS).
  • The "boss/executive" role you assign yourself resembles the rational self that observes and manages emotional responses, aligning with the idea in cognitive behavioral therapy that one's "executive function" can guide emotional regulation and decision making.
  • The metaphor also resonates with the popular "elephant and rider" analogy of decision making, where the emotional (elephant) and rational (rider) parts of the brain interact. Your characters represent the noisy elephant of emotions debating, while your role as boss is the rider steering the direction after the debate.
In contrast, the BBC article emphasizes embracing stuckness and gentle acceptance rather than trying to control every internal debate rigidly. Your metaphor implies a strong executive role of control and final decision-making, which may sometimes add pressure. The article suggests that sometimes letting go and observing the feelings with less judgment may also help shift stuckness.

Overall, your metaphor is a creative, emotionally intelligent way to process feelings and decisions. It aligns well with established psychological models of internal dialogue and emotional regulation, and it supports active management of your emotional experience. The BBC article offers complementary advice that encourages acceptance and expression, balancing control with compassionate surrender.

This imaginative method is far from childish; it is a valid and valuable mental framework to understand your internal life and guide your choices. The feeling of not being alone in your internal struggles, thanks to the populated city of characters, is a powerful way to foster self-compassion and mental clarity."
 
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BloodMoon said:
Using imaginary characters as proxies for emotions and internal conflicts can be seen as a form of internal dialogue or a "family meeting" of parts, a technique sometimes encouraged in therapeutic modalities such as Internal Family Systems (IFS).
Click to expand...
I noticed right away how this analogy reminds me of IFS therapy. It’s a great way to comfort your inner children and help them express the feelings they’ve had to live with all these years.
 
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