Walking down the street with Einstein - Life's 5 Chapters

The above definition of insanity that Einstein highlights is one we can all relate with on some level. Whether it be a regular dispute with a colleague, getting caught in the traffic daily or even the very job we find ourselves in; trying to solve a problem using the same mind that created it, is a futile battle. We're all human, and being totally caught up in the frenetic pace of the current world we live in, both business and personal, it's very easy to fall into the trap of not living in the moment...and opting for the more dire...having the moment live and rule us.

The poem below, by Portia Nelson, has been one of my favourites for years, even though I first discovered it way back when; I feel I'm garnering a lot more as I get older and wiser on this constant journey of growth within the school of life.

It's message is simple, when we own our decisions and take responsibility for our actions we can eventually break free from the shackles of habitual negative decisions and excuse making (sometimes unconscious ones) and live a better story.

So, in this insane world that we ourselves have constructed, the most sanest question is...which Chapter are you living in now?

'My Autobiography In Five Short Chapters'

Chapter I

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost... I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out. 

Chapter 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 this same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out. 

 Chapter III

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.
I still fall in... it's a habit... but,
my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately. 

 Chapter IV

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

Chapter V

I walk down another street. 

- Portia Nelson