Recognizing the Trap - and the Courage to Walk Away

One of my favorite poems is Autobiography in Five Chapters by Portia Nelson. The first time I read it, I laughed out loud because I recognized the description of my own trials and errors. It speaks volumes of truth for many of us as we once struggled - or continue to struggle - with recurring situations that we don't like!


Autobiography in Five 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 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 there.
I still fall in.
Its 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.

. . . . .

Thankfully, I've reached Chapter Five and I'm walking down another street these days in regards to past addictions: whether it was unhealthy eating and drinking habits; unhealthy relationships; crazy-making situations; habits in beliefs and emotional dramas; addictions to self-defeating lifestyle habits and what I did with my time.

To recognize the habits - to walk away from all of it and choose "another street" - has been truly liberating, fulfilling and empowering.

Even though in some areas of my life, I'm still at Chapter Three and Four, for the most part, my eyes are open, I catch myself much sooner and avoid falling into the same hole. This is true for many of you, too ... hooray for that!

If you're still at Chapter One or Two, you may not be relating much to my statements and may not even know that you're stuck at Chapter One or Two! Nevertheless, it will come to you sooner or later.

The real revelation comes in seeing more clearly that we are responsible for the choices we make that may set us up for attracting a particular situation in our lives.

Responsibility is both a scary and liberating state of consciousness. The good news is, that all the beauty and joy we experience are also realities that we have attracted as a result of our choices. After that, it becomes a process of building new habits in thinking, believing and behaving that will attract - with increasing frequency - the situations that hold greater joy and fulfillment for us.

Walking down another street often means leaving unhealthy relationships ... which includes friends and family members as well as romantic partners. It can also mean walking away from an unfulfilling dead-end job, quitting substance addiction, eliminating emotional drama, or putting an end to spending time in wasteful pursuits.

The allegory of walking down another street is to enter another "neighborhood" - a "new community" - of expanded possibilities and potentials where you get to be more of your true self.

When you are faced with trying to explain to a lover, spouse, friend, boss, business partner or family member why you are leaving or why you no longer want to continue engaging in anything less than a healthy, inspiring, fulfilling use of your time - save yourself the frustration of awkward explanations by making several copies of the above poem - Autobiography in Five Chapters - and pass them out to the appropriate persons. Tell them you've finally reached Chapter Five ... then walk away and let them figure it out.

          . . . and just keep on walking . . .   keep on walking . . .

Namaste' ~ Paula Peterson