Our lives are amazing rich tapestries of experiences, lessons, moments and sensations. Sometimes we get so caught up in the doing that we forget to ask why, we loose sight of the bigger picture and we may be experiencing the same experiences over and over again. This month the theme is awareness, choice, and change. To highlight this theme, I’d like to share one of my favorite poems about life, it’s titled: “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters”, by Portia Nelson.
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 am 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 another street.
Application to Awareness, Change and Choice:
In Chapter 1, we find ourselves in the middle of a stressful situation and emotions. We fall in the hole and begin to judge ourselves, our situation, and perhaps others. “I fall in. I am lost. I am helpless.” We aren’t sure what to change or how to change it but our recognition or awareness has been stimulated. Recognition is the first step in the process of change.
In Chapter 2, we fall in the same hole one more time! Why do we keep falling into the same hole? We are still struggling with identifying the actions and behaviors which caused us to fall into the hole and identifying new choices. We know that the definition of insanity is to keep on doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results but we are stuck in a pattern.
In Chapter 3, we recognize that we are instrumental in shaping our own world. Therefore we can take action to change it. We recognize the patterns of thinking and behaviors and begin to ask questions such as, “What am I doing that causes me to fall into this hole?” Through self-examination, we begin to connect with our power and take action. “I get out immediately.”
In Chapter 4, we not only change our thinking but make a different choice. We walk down the street with a hole but we walk around it.
In Chapter 5, we have grown even further and are able to make entirely different choices because we know that it is within ourselves to do so. We are able to experience new streets.
Every day is an opportunity for self examination and contemplation. There are a growing number of tools and techniques with which to do this exploration. The most important step is to make a commitment to your SELF to begin this exploration and then to work on it a little bit every day.
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Jan 03 2013