In this episode, experienced family therapist, Julie Keanaaina introduces a model known as the Stages of Change that has been found to be very helpful in not only addiction therapy but applied more widely, and then she and Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon work to compare its categories/levels with those of Stages of Faith author James Fowler’s adult stages of faith and worldview development. It’s an instructive and fascinating conversation that is part teaching, part conversation, part personal storytelling, and all terrific and insightful.
The Stages of Change have, without calling each by the names discussed in the podcast, been adapted into a wonderful poem by Portia Nelson:
Autobiography in 5 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 helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes me 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 the 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 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.
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.
Listen in! You’ll find a lot that will cause you to think with more focus about our lives, issues, changes, and our faith journeys.
Link:
Information and registration for the March 27-29 Retreat (note the date change from what was announced in previous episodes)
Chapter VI
I remember the hole
And I come back to visit
and jump in, to enjoy life within it.
I can climb out whenever I want.
And I know I can always come back.
Mistakes are part of a human nature.
This is why is so important to integrate mindfulness and awareness in our daily life. Of course it takes practice, practice, practice.
No time for guilty feeling.
Step 1: What have I learn from it?
Step 2: How can I resolve it?
Step 3: How can we make it better and beautiful for the next time?
Step 4:Be thankful and move on!
Although, you know there are some mistakes that are important for our life’s and we need not only to honor them but accept them as part of or growing and learning process.