“I walk down the street.⁣ There is a deep hole in

“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.”⁣

― Portia Nelson, There's a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery