Living Your Own Groundhog Day

How long has it been since you’ve seen the classic movie Groundhog Day? Do you feel like you’ve been living a version of it for the past year?

I recently came across the article, How 'Groundhog Day' Explains Mindfulness and Mastery. I was intrigued! So, what is it about its message that has inspired sermons and self help books?

The screenwriter, Danny Rubin says, "The absolute worst day of Phil's life took place under the exact same conditions as the absolute best day of Phil's life. In fact, a whole universe of experiences proved to be possible on this single day. The only difference was Phil himself, what he noticed, how he interpreted his surroundings, and what he chose to do." 

The article goes on to say how every day is groundhog day for everyone. We all wake up each morning, same bodies, same routines... repeating patterns, making some of the same choices, having the same frustrations. The pandemic did not change any of this; it just gave us more awareness because there were less distractions to the repetition. Mindfulness is training to look at the repetition and neutral experiences more carefully.

Another interesting connection is how the character, Phil Connors, also begins using his one day to focus on others, another idea of mindfulness, developing compassion and empathy.

It’s been years since I’ve seen the movie, but intend to watch it again soon with this new lens. It definitely has me thinking and brings up an interesting question, as you continue your version of Groundhog Day, how will you approach the day differently, when you wake up and go back to the beginning?

You can find the whole article here. Enjoy!