“There is a Hole in My Sidewalk” is a poem written by Portia Nelson that beautifully describes the stages of transformation in a simple and concise way. Most people live life on autopilot. They keep repeating the same actions, expecting to get a different result, living a life of stagnation and no growth. 

The Poem emphasizes the importance of honest self-reflection throughout life. It is only through taking full responsibility and learning life lessons that one can travel the beautiful self-discovery journey. It is a commitment to becoming a better and bolder version of oneself. 

“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.

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 me a long time to get out.

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.

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

I walk down another street.”

Image Credits:
Feature Image: Raúl Nájera, on Unsplash, Creative Commons