Abstract: This article describes the way people unconsciously perceive their life and work experiences in metaphorical terms. Calling these Operating Metaphors (a trademark of Charles Faulkner), it gives examples of how these metaphors act like programmed instructions to control and limit our behaviour and our capacity to perform well. It mentions research being done to develop a psychometric instrument, designed to reveal metaphors affecting performance limitations, feelings of stress and loss of energy, and explores the hypothesis that modifying these Operating Metaphors can release people from their limitations, and unleash high levels of energy and performance improvement.