Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

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Mar 02 2022

Hole in the Sidewalk

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we really are, far more than our abilities.” (J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

This week, I was reminded of a short little story by Portia Nelson entitled There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk: Autobiography in Five Chapters.

Click here to listen to the 2-minute version of this article on the “Success is a Choice” podcast network.

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.

John Wooden, the great basketball coach, liked to say “There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So, keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.”

We are the sum total of the choices we have made in the past. Tomorrow, we will be better (or worse) off because of the choices we make today.

We may not be perfect but we can make progress each and every day. Similarly, those around us may not be perfect but we can encourage, uplift, and empower them to be their best.

What will we do today to be better? What will we do today to help others be better?

What will our journey look like? What choices will we make along the way?

Remember that success is a choice. What choice will you make today?

Jamy Bechler is the author of The Leadership Playbook, host of the Success is a Choice Podcast, professional speaker, and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. Bechler spent 20 years as a college basketball coach and administrator. He has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. Follow him on twitter at @CoachBechler. To connect with him via email or find out about his services, please contact speaking@CoachBechler.com. You can also subscribe to his insights on success and leadership by clicking here.

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Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Leadership, Personal Growth, Podcast Episodes · Tagged: Books, Choices, decision making, decisions, favorite books, Habits, Hole in the Sidewalk, John C. Maxwell, John Wooden, Maya Angelou, Personal Responsibility, Portia Nelson, Responsibility, Success is a Choice, take responsibility

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