Sunday was Groundhog Day, and guess what? Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so according to folklore, we’re looking at six more weeks of winter. Let’s just hope there’s not another “Snowpocalypse” or “Birmingham Snow Jam” or whatever you want to call last week.
Groundhog Day always reminds me of the movie Groundhog Day. And the movie reminds me of a business-coaching application …
Some businesspeople live their lives like Bill Murray’s character, Phil Connors, in the 1993 classic movie. If you don’t quite remember it, Phil is an obnoxious, sarcastic TV weather reporter who is sent by his station to cover the annual Groundhog Day ceremonies in Punxsutawney, PA. Murray’s character hates covering this event.
Connors goes to sleep and wakes up the next morning only to find that it’s still Groundhog Day. This happens over and over again. Not until he changes his bad attitude and redirects his focus from self-absorption to others does the day ever change. He discovers that real change starts with oneself.
Like Phil, you are in charge of your own future—good or bad. Phil Connors’s good future involves his getting the girl (who once viewed him as horrible) in the end—but only after he changes for the better.
While the movie is cute and entertaining, we can all learn something serious and lasting from the storyline.
First, if we are arrogant, self-absorbed (and “full of ourselves” as my mamma used to say), then people are not drawn to us. The exact opposite also is true; if you are good at heart, authentic and compassionate, people will gravitate toward you and want to be with you.
Second, change begins with you. If you want a better environment, job, home life, etc. whatever needs to change to make that happen needs to start with you. There’s no changing others.
Unlike the movie Groundhog Day, we only get one chance to make each day a positive, productive and joyful experience. We can’t replay the day to see where we messed up and then do it over.
We all get the same day with the same number of hours in it. During that day, we have “defining moments” where we can make that day positive (and maybe even memorable), or we can take the wrong path that will lead us to negativity, anger, disappointment and envy, to name just a few things we should try to avoid.
Think of yourself as the producer, director and actor in your own lifetime movie. I challenge you to star in a daily film full of joy, productivity, good thoughts and fond memories.
Live your own life to the very fullest, make the changes you need to make and you’ll do what you do better.