I had a 'lightbulb moment' the other day when a friend of mine said that she thought the concept of 'belonging' was key to me and Life Clubs.

Now, why I hadn't thought of that myself I have no idea, but I hadn't - and she was absolutely right.

Belonging is key to so many of us. Whether that feeling of being an outsider starts from being ostracised at school or having divorced parents or just from feeling different, it doesn't matter. It's a feeling that can haunt you forever and maybe even inspire you.

Since I tend to notice co-incidences, the idea of 'belonging' or 'not belonging' is now showing up everywhere. I just worked with a lovely person for a Zest Magazine makeover. An incredibly high achiever, she too was looking to 'belong'.

As I love working with metaphor (and it's the Visual Solutions workshop this week at Life Clubs), I asked her if she could imagine her feelings as a landscape.

She saw herself alone in an open, sparse, lonely desert with only a sole cactus plant for company. There were forests around, symbolising gatherings of people, but she couldn't reach them. The atmosphere felt cold and unfriendly. I suggested she lay down and look at the sky for a few moments.

Almost instantly her mood changed. She relaxed and found that the cool earth felt refreshing and enjoyable. She saw how being still, rather than constantly chasing after happiness - those groups of trees - was enabling her to take stock and realise that it was OK to sometimes be alone and maybe 'belong' to yourself. The metaphor was working.

What landscape are you in right now and what can you learn from it?

Come to this week's Life Club to see how to use metaphor to solve your problems. You'll never look back.