Five Short Chapters

There are times in our lives when we do the same thing over and over again without seeing any progress, and then, for some reason, we think that we’re still going to get a different result, a better result.

It’s essential to recognize that to achieve a different result, you must change what you’re doing. You have to change your pattern of behaviour and your pattern of thinking.

You may need to learn something new, develop new skills, adjust your environment and mindset, and make better choices.
I understand that it can be challenging to make the necessary changes required to achieve a lasting transformation. Still, the fact is that the only way to see the positive changes you desire in your life is to have a different plan of action. If things aren’t working out how you want them to, you’ll have to take a different path.

Change begins when you decide to take a different direction, and then you take action.
The distance between who you are now and who you want to be begins with a time of self-reflection and prayer, where you search within to discover what you need to change. Then, you adjust your mindset, actions, and words accordingly.

I love this poem that I read many years ago called,

An Autobiography In Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson

Chapter One

“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 Two

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 me a long time to get out.

Chapter Three

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 Four

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

Chapter Five

“I walk down another street.”

This poem is a perfect example of doing the same thing over and over again and being surprised by some of the circumstances in our lives; it also reveals our first instinct to blame others instead of taking responsibility when things don’t turn out the way we want.
However, when our eyes are finally open and we begin to see clearly, taking responsibility for our lives and our decisions, we then become more aware that change is necessary.

So my question is …

What chapter are you in? And is it time for you to go down another street?

Bev