There are times in our lives when we do the same thing over and over and over again without seeing progress, and then for some reason, we think that we’re still going to get a different result, a better result.
It’s important to realize that you must change what you’re doing to get a different result. You must change your pattern of behavior and your pattern of thinking.
You may have to learn something new, develop new skills, change your environment and mindset, and make better choices.
Making the necessary changes to see a lasting transformation can be challenging. Still, 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 starts when you decide to go in a different direction and then take action.
The distance between who you are now and who you want to be begins with a time of self-reflection and prayer to search within to discover what you need to change and then adjust your mindset, actions, and words accordingly.
I love this poem that I came across many years ago:
“An Autobiography In Five Short Chapters”
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.”
Portia Nelson
This poem is a perfect example of doing the same thing repeatedly and being surprised about 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 how we would have wanted.
But, when our eyes are finally open, and we can see clearly and take responsibility for our actions and decisions, we become more aware that change may be necessary.
So, my question is…
What chapter are you in?
And is it time for you to go down another street?
Bev
