The last time I used an image like this, I presented a series of three. The three images were purposely chosen by me. However, both the image and the word this week are entirely random. The word is in Danish, so I will of course translate it for you. This particular word means, “game”.
To those of you that also participated last time, I hope you will have patience in any repetitive explanations you may find. I attempt to clarify to new readers dropping by.
The purpose of the image is to explore in the same way as last time. This time a word is added to enhance the process. I have come across several users of this method that view the words as the constraints that we all impose upon ourselves. They also let the picture show them an “opposite” to lead the way away from the constraints. In other words, find a way that better harmonizes with who they feel they really are, or would like to be. However, it is not a mandatory recipe. Anything goes, if you will. The process leads to possible points of development. Initial thoughts that pop in, are message to the individual about what they need to do in order to move on.
There are an incredible array of perspectives regarding personal development. When I work with clients and students, we work at various levels, and in different ways. This work is sometimes more traditionally based, and sometimes a more flexible method can serve important purposes. Occasionally people enjoy goal setting, and sometimes free-flow is the little extra something that satisfies. This is just one of many examples. I have come to appreciate a toolbox full of methods in tailoring to individual needs.
I feel that the world of the Web poses interaction challenges, although it would not seem so. However, we do lose that person to person contact, where body language usually fills in the gaps. What I am attempting to get written with this explanation, is that I view these images as very effective in a special way. I also think that the images are fun to work with, and they stimulate thought and interaction between people that are separated by thousands of miles.
I have stated this many times, but I believe that despite cultural differences, we should view ourselves more similar as human beings, than we tend to do. However in stating this, I do not only mean being a citizen of a certain country. I also mean closing unnecessary gaps between the genders, classes, religions, etc. There are many things we hold in common. One of them being, emotions. I stated last time that imagery is a language of emotions. Yet, it is so very important that we understand ourselves first. We think that we do, yet when a path of development is embarked upon, we can be surprised at our unexpected discoveries. If we cannot empathize with our own shortcomings, it can sometimes prove difficult to appreciate the same struggles in others, and where outer differences widen the gaps between us.
And so, I ask the question anew. If you take the combined image and word, and view them in direct relationship to yourself, what pops in?
For those that would like a little guidance, I can mention that in this system, water often symbolizes emotions. The color blue often symbolizes the concept of communication (all types).
These images are provided by, Eos Interactive Cards ©Ely Raman
Pentad
This is the hardest type of love for our culture to submit to, I believe. Your words are inspiring. Thanks
Hmmm. How do I insert a quote that makes it look like a quote? Tell you what, I will paste it below!
——–Quotey Quotey———–
I feel that the world of the Web poses interaction challenges, although it would not seem so. However, we do lose that person to person contact, where body language usually fills in the gaps.
——End Of Quotey Quotey——
The other thing which that comment brings up is that you are also restricted to deciding on how that person looks in both facial and bodily language to if they are a person you would deem yourself suitable to int he “real world” because people are so vain. I have a somewhat sarcastic sense of humour (you may have noticed!) which should someone not know me, would come out as very rude. This is because you cannot see my body language or the smile upon my face as I type the line. It makes “Online friendships” actually harder then the face to face ones. Unless of course you are shy and typing behind a screen is often a lot easier. So depending on the type of person you are, there are a few variations of outcome.
But upon looking at the image and the word, I feel the need to get a water balloon out. This is allowed as in 3 minutes it is technically my birthday, and you said that I am not allowed to act like an adult!
Oh, and I am part Dutch. Found that one out a few months ago from my Mum. Her Mum’s Mum had a Dutch husband. Sailor apparently. Oh well. Can’t be helped.
I’m still laughing at your “quotey quotey….end quotey quotey”. How do you come up with them? No, please don’t answer that.
Yes, well. I am a better judge of some than others. I had you pegged from the beginning, so the word rude would be the farthest thing from my mine..
hmmm. Water balloon, eh? That could be painful. Sit down, and I will grab my pen and paper, and we will talk. haha. A great emotional water balloon waiting to pop.
That makes two of us. I’m also a bit of Dutch. The only side of the family I don’t know anything about. Those sneaky sailors.
steven. Thank you for your comment. Part of me fears that you are very, very right in that point. Most of me keeps hoping that it’s “do-able”.
Well there is an empty void in my head where “sensibility” once resided. But it didn’t pay it’s rent on time, so I kicked it outta there.
I have posted a no-questions post for you today. It is different to the one I was going to post but I saw this and had to do it. When you read it you may definately want to get the notepad out!
Strangely, we don’t know too much about the sailory side of the family either. We could be related!
Hmm.. the picture by itself reminded me of of two English sayings to describe people (not so commonly used now).. which are;
“Their cup is half full”
or
“Their cup is half empty.”
The first being someone who looks on the bright side of life and the second someone who aways sees the negative. As for the game… well to a certain extent life is a game too.
When I make water balloons Sy I always do it straight from the tap.. you’re obviously more sophisticated than I thought!
Yep, I think it can be easy to misinterpret someone’s words using the net and email; I have done this myself. My trouble is that I examine everything to immense detail and maybe see things that may not be there. In “real life” I would rely on my interpretation of body movement and my intuition to do this for me. Of course they are times when people write and say things that mean things entirely different and that’s when things get confused…
Sy. Good morning! I will head over and read that.
Jane. Fantastic image observation. I actually never thought of that of that analogy. That’s why I love these images. I really enjoy hearing/reading the observations of others. Thanks!
I’m finding the “image” aspect of your blog fascinating Tamera. They’ve made me think a lot about things and reflect upon myself. ( Not so sure that’s a good thing for me; reflection has a tendency to make me mad or melancholic…hmmm.. I think I’m gonna choose MAD and save the melancholic for another day.)
MAD is extremely useful, and definitely underrated. Boy, I sure am glad someone other than myself is thinking about the images. I have to admit that when I pulled this one up, it made no sense to me until yesterday. It took a couple of days. I will post on that tomorrow, I think. Even though I posted this yesterday, I wrote it on Sunday. So, you understand me then in my statement of “taking a couple of days before it hit me”.
Well, I’m going to look forward to reading your analysis of it. ( Now don’t make it too deep; remember I’m only a housewife who hasn’t been exercising her brain for quite a while; so remember to explain things nice and simple for me!)
No. No analysis. I will bear my own to all. haha. I thought I would write my own experiences with this image, and in that is an individual wisdom, as yours is an individual wisdom. ;o)))
JT beat me to it!
That’s exactly what I saw in the image. The individual’s perceived interpretation of life. I see the vessel as being half full, whilst others see it as half empty.
That can make the difference between an optimist and a pesimist, or in my case a realist. My outlook is that I’m enjoying the contents of the vessel and thus I realistically think, “loads more to go, just go with it Floog me old mucker”
Look, I was just cooking dinner and now I’ve had to get my one brain cell concentrating on this…. my head hurts now!
Great minds think alike Floogie!
And I wasn’t concentrating on dinner and now I’ve burnt it… again.
I think I may be missing something (dont worry it happens ALL the time ~ I am a bit of an air-head), but LOOKING at the image and the word and responding is all, right?
Well my mind wanted to know if the word “game” was an acronym SPIL ~ Special People In Life: Pouring love, life and peace to all who need a bit of nourishment!
Kinda like what you do for us Tamera ;0)
Enjoy the day ~ that was fun!
Tamera, your blog is so calming, so thoughtful…
I will admit to having trouble with the exercise, as I read tarot, and the image reminds me of the Ace of Cups…and the word even when translated still reads to me as “spill” and so I immediately think the cup is going to spill, which depending on the situation is good or bad but a mess none the less.
Ah, maybe after I write tonight, I will give myself a reading LOL!
houseonahill. That is a nice acronym. I’ve learned something new. I feel then that we are all capable of “SPIL”‘ing..haha. And, sometimes we all have our down-days. That’s OK, too.
Anok. Thanks for popping in. Yeah, I see what you mean, although I don’t know Tarot. What you wrote, triggered a spontaneous thought though. That thought was that the cup spilling is exactly what we may need sometimes. Especially if we become too good at always pouring our emotions perfectly in “cup”. We can also pour and pour spreading ourselves thin, and of course the cup would eventually run over. And, hey….all we have to do is wipe it up, and move on. No worse than that.
Floog. Did Jane beat you to it? Oh. Yes, that was a cool observation of the image. And since you are a natural, and Jane thought the thought. That makes you both brilliant! ;o))
What’d I miss? What happened? Has lassie saved there souls from the mineshaft which is about to cave in? Do I have to wait until next post to find out? Ah man…I leave for a few hours and look what happens. Organised anarchy.
Now, Sy. Do you really think we’d save anyone before you came home? Geesh. We’ve been waitin’ on you. So, it’s about bloody time you came home!!!! Floog’s burned his brain cell, Jane is stuck inside of the tunnel again, houseonahill hit the sack, Anok is taroting herself…and, I’m twiddling my thumbs.
Hey, can you inspire me to get writing about Serbia and Kosovo? I’m having such a hard time! I mean, since you’re just twiddling your thumbs and all
Heh. Tarot readings work much in a similar manner as to what you did – it’s a gut reaction to an image to help you figure out you. Sometimes there are words, most times just pictures, and your reaction determines the reading.
I just have a hard time separating the tarot images from your images!
OK, so give me a second as I have had a “few” tonight.
Right, let me get my head round this.
So I need to twiddle Tamera in to a tunnel to see Jane who is stuck in a sack with houseonahill whose brain is linked to Floog’s but he has burnt out because Anok told him the cards said he would meet a goat in his dreams which would remind him of his house.
And you want me to fix this? Well, I will give it my best shot!
Anok…Serbia and Kosovo? Dear…can’t help you get motivated for that one. Shall I put on a national costume, and act it out for you..sort of..opera-tap-dancish? I was actually writing on a post when ya’ll came hurtling in half-loaded. Yeah, I’m talkin’ ’bout you here, Sy!! Just so you know!
Sy….I think you need another drink. And, no more birthday concerts for you! You can begin to celebrate Jane’s b-day tomorrow. You go freshen up your glass, while I will wipe my tears from laughing!
And, Sy…..get it right, will ya? It was not a sack. It was a plastic-baggy. Geesh. Do I have to do all of the work around here?
Damn comment form is not working…
A plastic bag? Ah man. Yeah I am going to need your help on this one me thinks.
My glass is now half full! It was more full when I started typing this message, but I have to read it 5 times over to remove the spelling mistakes!
I am up for some Opera TapDance schtuff! That sounds awesome! I have some lycra here which I use for *deleted through fear of mocking himself* so I can meet you on the floor for a dance off ballerina style!
Yes we need to do something for Jane’s birthday. And what is more shocking is that in January, kinda mid way through, you never let on it was your birthday. So I think everyone should wish a warm belated birthday to the hostess with the mostess.
I just wish that I had a tad bit more flattering image to place in the “Happy Birthday, Jane” section. That toilet just kind of…well…I’m afraid of what people might “give” her as gifts.
I’ve never done this before so hopefully I’m not way off-base here. Like one of your previous commentors, the “glass half full/half empty” thing was the first that came to mind.
But then something else started coming to me. Water usually represents the unconscious in my dreams, and I constantly struggle with interpreting my subconscious minds messages in my dreams (you may have seen my interpretations of dreams over at blogcatalog). I almost view the larger pitcher as “filling” the cup with some sense of knowledge of awareness, that one might fathom has been bequeathed by what I interpret as the “ocean” in the background. Almost like a quick refresher from the subconscious, the great ether of unkown, into the conscious via something tangible that I can reach out and touch, i.e, a pitcher and a glass.
How’s that?
You can’t ever be off base with this type of exercise. That was just awesome! That really made sense, and I don’t know about anyone else, but it resonated with me.
Some years back I was having terrible dreams about stormy oceans, and getting lost. Many would say, “so what”? But, I kept waking up each night, so it was really affecting my sleep. They were very disturbing. I think some understanding came about, and I started to work on it in my life..and, they haven’t come back.