Ouch! I get it!

Have you ever read this “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters” by Portia Nelson? It’s a delight and even has a message!

Chapter 1  I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost…I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2  I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I’m in the same place. But it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3  I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in…it’s a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

Chapter 4  I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

Chapter 5  I walk down a different street.

 

Does this remind you of the “Groundhog Day” movie?

Does your life ever feel like this?

Some habits are just that-habitual!

We always have the option to choose new ones. Even though it may take us a while to move on beyond the “holes” in our life experience, we can do it.

• Why is it that we mostly focus on the negative ones?
• Why do we keep falling into the hole?
• Why don’t we choose to walk down that different street?

Why?

• Maybe it’s just too simple?
• Maybe it’s just we don’t want to expend the energy?
• Maybe we’re worried about whether that different street might have a bigger pothole?

And, just maybe, we’re making a big deal out of a little hole! Once we’re aware of the hole we do have a number of options.

What do you do to make a change?

How do you choose a different street?