If it Isn't Your Fault, Why are You in the Hole? Part 2 in the Portia Nelson series

The first article explained how Portia Nelson's outstanding poem, Autobiography in Five Short Chapters, identifies some of the difficulties to overcoming challenges in life, which she calls holes in the sidewalk.

Each situation you encounter can help you gain the inner power to overcome future challenges. The secret of success is to realize that life doesn't just give you personal power without effort, instead it brings you situations in which you can develop the personal power you need. And you can also decline and stay where you are.

Hence situations recur, although often with a different cast of characters. Each sidewalk hole into which you fall can change your life, so take advantage of each one. If you turn down the opportunity to make the inner changes needed, your personal power won't change and they'll continue to recur.

It Isn't My Fault
In the first two Chapters, note that: "it isn't my fault." But without taking responsibility for where you are, how will you ever develop the personal power needed to move on? And you keep falling into deep holes in the sidewalk.

Being responsible - taking responsibility - is how to become more powerful, to develop the personal power to overcome your self sabotage mechanism. But it will did its heels in, saying: ‘I had nothing, or virtually nothing, to do with the matter.' Which may have a degree of truth, yet is very deceptive.

The self sabotage mechanism doesn't want you to take responsibility. When you take responsibility for both your actions and the ensuing consequences, you increase your personal power and decrease its influence. It doesn't like this!

Even if you did absolutely nothing to cause the situation, your lack of action is part of the reason it occurred. So the secret of success is to take responsibility for your inaction. Then you can take responsibility for changing it, which enables you to resolve it!

The way to change your life is clear. Realise that unless you take responsibility in the matter, you have no power to change it!

Be Responsible
Once you take responsibility, you can start changing what needs to be changed. When you're doing your part, you stop being part of the problem and become part of the solution.

The situation will continue to attract you until you stop judging, and see that it just is the way things are. When it holds no energy for you, then you can let it go, or rather it will let you go. Then you're in chapter five and walk down another street.

Different Issues, Different Chapters
For different issues in your life, you are in different chapters. Some common problems you find difficult to resolve, yet you know people who don't face those problems, they just don't occur in their life. Other issues you're in chapter four or five, while those same people battle as they keep falling into the same hole.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so the next article will look at some instances of behavior in the different chapters. Change your life, be inspired to increase your personal power and stop falling into holes in the sidewalk!

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Food for Thought
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem!"
- Eldridge Cleaver, 1935-1998, US activist