{"id":5793,"date":"2013-11-13T23:37:49","date_gmt":"2013-11-14T04:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/blissblog\/?p=5793"},"modified":"2013-11-13T23:37:49","modified_gmt":"2013-11-14T04:37:49","slug":"the-definition-of-insanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2013\/11\/the-definition-of-insanity.html","title":{"rendered":"The Definition of Insanity"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You may have heard it said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Today I heard an even more succinct translation of that colloquialism. This person who is in recovery from addiction stated, laughing at the irony, \u00a0that insanity is knowing what the outcome will be; same as it ever was and making the decision to engage in the self destructive behavior anyway. He wasn’t sure what led him to fall into that\u00a0 literal and\u00a0symbolic hole\u00a0again and again. I wondered as I sat with him about the nature of this learned behavior and what it would take to him make better choices. I often share with my clients this poignant poem written by Portia Nelson:<\/p>\n

Autobiography In Five Short Chapters<\/span><\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter I<\/b><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. \u00a0 I fall in. \u00a0 I am lost… I am hopeless. \u00a0 It isn’t my fault. \u00a0 It takes forever to find a way out. <\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter II<\/b><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

I walk down the same street. \u00a0 There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. \u00a0 I pretend <\/b>I don’t see it. \u00a0 I fall in again. \u00a0 I can’t believe I am in this same place. \u00a0 But it isn’t my fault. \u00a0 It still takes a long time to get out. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Chapter III<\/b><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

I walk down the same street. \u00a0 There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. \u00a0 I see <\/b>it there. \u00a0 I still fall in… it’s a habit… but, \u00a0 my eyes are open. \u00a0 I know where I am. \u00a0 It is my <\/b>fault. \u00a0 I get out immediately. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b>Chapter IV<\/b><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

I walk down the same street. \u00a0 There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. \u00a0 I walk around it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter V<\/b><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

I walk down another street. <\/span><\/p>\n

How many times have I walked down the same street, imagining that THIS time, the sidewalk will be nice and smooth, no bumps or pitfalls?\u00a0 Plenty. I (like all of us) repeat patterns because they are familiar and I think that is the way I am expected to interact with others, or perceive a situation. It is when I reflect on outcome that I am able to honestly assess what is in my best interest. It is that classic ‘fearless and searching moral inventory in 12 step parlance,’ that each of us, regardless of if we are in recovery with which we are called on to engage. I do it every day, asking myself if I have brought the best of who I am into each encounter with a fellow being. Gratefully, mostly I have been able to say a hardy YES! I guess that makes me (relatively) sane.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  You may have heard it said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Today I heard an even more succinct translation of that colloquialism. This person who is in recovery from addiction stated, laughing at the irony, \u00a0that insanity is knowing what the outcome will…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":233,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2,13,19,3,22,14,4,16],"tags":[519,3493,4871],"class_list":["post-5793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-attracting-what-you-desire","category-bliss","category-blissfull-thinking","category-empowerment","category-gratitude","category-healing","category-how-to-invite-bliss","category-inspiration","category-my-personal-bliss","tag-12-step","tag-portia-nelson","tag-recovery"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Definition of Insanity - The Bliss Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2013\/11\/the-definition-of-insanity.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Definition of Insanity - The Bliss Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  You may have heard it said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. 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She has also contributed to several anthologies and personal growth books. Edie has interviewed such notables as Ram Dass, Wayne Dyer, Debbie Ford, don Miguel Ruiz, don Miguel Ruiz, Jr. Marianne Williamson, Grover Washington, Jr. Noah Levine, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Weaver, Ben and Jerry and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She calls herself an Opti-mystic who sees the world through the eyes of possibility. 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