Autobiography in 5 Chapters, by Portia Nelson
In the curriculum that I teach to teens and adults, I use several quotes and poems. Here is one of those poems that I love. I used it last night during a workshop I gave to a group of teens and a few adults, we had a good laugh at ourselves!
Video version at the bottom, Enjoy!
This poem shows how we, as humans, are so slow at learning from our mistakes! Here it is:
Autobiography in 5 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 still don’t see it. I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place. 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 there, I still fall in.
It’s habit. It’s my fault. I know where I am.
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.
Think about some of the times in your life where you’ve made the same mistake over and over. Hopefully you’ve learned from some of them now. Be kind to yourself though, we’re all humans, these things happen and will keep happening. Next time you notice you’re going round and round in a same situation, perhaps take a breath and see what you can learn from it, how you can change the situation, maybe ask for help, and at least change the way you’ve been responding to it, and keep testing new ways to get out of it.
🙂