I just came to the realization that yesterday was February 2nd. Fortunately, I did not find myself living Groundhog Day all over again – as is the premise of the 1993 romantic comedy, Groundhog Day.
If you recall, the movie stars Bill Murray (Phil) as a self-centered, egotistical weatherman. To put it mildly, he can care less about anyone else but himself. Every February 2nd, he makes the trek up to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to do a report on the Groundhog Day Festival.
Phil finds himself in an endless pattern of re-living his least favorite day of the year. Every morning, his alarm clock radio goes off at 6 am to the tune of ‘I Got You, Babe’ from Sonny and Cher. (Bet you’ll have that song stuck in your head the rest of the day.)
Day after day, he’s trapped in this ongoing cycle. Since there seems to be no way out of this sequence of events, Phil begins indulging himself in a series of bad behaviors (overeating, stealing, seducing women, etc.). But through it all, his ultimate goal is to try and win over his producer, Rita (Andie McDowell); but it just doesn’t seem to happen. Things always remain the same and nothing ever changes.
But then he finally realizes that the one thing he can change is himself. At this point of the movie, Phil tries to become a new person – a better person.
The questions that Phil addresses actually have some deep spiritual roots, and these are the same questions that we should be asking ourselves.
- What would it take for me to make an ordinary day into the best day of my life?
- What priorities and/or motivations trap me in a cycle of spiritual “numbness” or “sameness?” Which of these patterns am I still stuck in?
- How can I commit to live each day according to the will of our heavenly Father?
- How can I become more kind, loving, generous, and forgiving toward others?
- How might I allow God to transform and renew my mind day after day?
Here’s my point: our lives will turn around once we begin to focus our minds on the needs of others. When we serve others, we love without
expecting anything in return. When we stop putting ourselves first, we stop trying to manipulate our own outcomes. Remember, God is always in control. All we have to do is open ourselves to his presence each and every day.
Let us pray for a daily change of heart so that we can transform our behaviors and live each day as if it were our only day. Amen.
Check out these fascinating interpretations of Groundhog Day. Click here.
Make sure you read my post: 7 Ways to Live Like A Monk (even during a pandemic).
