The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, by Sogyal Rinpoche. This book over all had the greatest impact on my life.

Most notably there was a poem in this book entitled "Autobiography in Five Chapters", by Portia Nelson:

1) I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost...
I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

2) 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'm in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

3) 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.

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

5) I walk down another street.


I think of this poem often. It helps me remember how I want my life to be, thus helping me stop behaving in ways that are not conducive to having the life that I want.