AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS

AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS
by Portia Nelson

I

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 me forever to find a way out.

II

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.

III

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.

IV

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

V

I walk down another street.

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I love this. Read it in Stephen Covey's Seven habits of Highly Effective Teens.

We tend to blame others for the things that have been happening to us. Sometimes, it takes muscle and outright carnage for us to be accountable to our own actions.

Falling again and again on the hole that has been known to us is committing mistakes more than twice.

"Shame on you if you fool me once, shame on me you fool me twice."

Learn from our mistakes and commit ourselves to formulating countermeasures in order for us not to execute the same boo-boo that we have done in the past.

Walk another street.