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Now, we’ve got some Clean questions to use to explore and develop that outcome, where ‘X’ is one of the words or phrases you’ve used.

“What kind of X?” and

“Is there anything else about X?”

So, we might ask: “What kind of triumph is that triumph?” or “Is there anything else about hope?”

Ask yourself these questions, several times, about various words in your desired outcome. What new ideas come to mind? What new connections seem to form?

Then ask:

“And when all of that, that’s like what?”

This question invites you to come up with a metaphor linking some of the ideas you’ve come up with. For me, ‘triumph’ might be like the end of a Star Wars battle scene, featuring an exotic victory parade into a gigantic stadium, or it might be like the joy of placing a perfectly-baked, cinnamon-scented apple cake on the table. For you, it will be something different. In this process there really are no right or wrong answers.

You might enjoy developing this metaphor. Think about it. Ask yourself again and again:

“What kind of X?” and

“Is there anything else about X?”

Feel free to make a few notes if you would like to. Or just allow your mind to wander, exploring the amazing landscape of thoughts. Occasionally, particularly if you notice your thoughts drifting towards something you’d like less of, ask yourself again:

“And when all of that, what would I like to have happen?”

Stay with the metaphor. There’s no requirement to figure out how these ‘fantasies’ relate to the ‘resolution’ you first thought of. You may find that your ideas develop and change as you go through this process. That’s fine. Your own imagination holds a much wilder and more far-fetched idea of your potential than any Government-sponsored health campaign! These are your dreams, your hopes, your thoughts.

Spend all the time you need to develop your metaphorical desired outcome in exactly the way that is right for you. You might even find yourself curious about: "What kind of ‘I’ is the ‘I’ that would like that to happen?"

Finally, give your metaphor a name, a label, so that you can refer to it in the next part of the exercise.

Step 2: What needs to happen?

Ok, you’ve developed a big dream, a metaphor, for the thing you’d like to have happen, and you’ve given it a label. Now ask yourself:

“And what needs to happen for X?”

(where X is the label of your metaphor.)

Make a list. Ask yourself the question several times. And when you think you’re done, ask:

“And is there anything else that needs to happen?”

Your list may be metaphorical, or it may refer to real-world actions, or it may be a mixture of the two. It will work just as well either way – your other-than-conscious mind knows what it all means.

Step 3: Ready for action

Finally, once you have a complete list of what needs to happen, ask yourself first:

“And can I?” (do the actions that need to happen) 

And then:

“And will I?” (do the actions that need to happen)

If you can’t, or you won’t, just acknowledge this, give yourself a big hug for being so wonderfully honest with yourself, and return to Step 1 to adjust your desired outcome so that it takes account of your reservations.

“And when I can’t or I won’t, what would I like to have happen?”

And dream on!

How does this work? Well, that’s another story, which relates to the ways in which metaphor is the raw material of thought. The basics of Clean Language can be learned in a few hours, which you’ve already begun. And mastering the mysteries takes time.

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