In honor of Feb 2nd “Groundhog Day”, I thought I would post a few tips inspired by Paul Hannam’s book “The Magic of Groundhog Day” for those of us who find ourselves stuck in our own Groundhog Day – unable to break out of old patterns.
If you’re unfamiliar with the holiday, check out Wikipedia.
If you have yet to see the movie, you might want to add it to your NetFlix list and check it out. SEE IMDB for an overview.
And now, 5 tips for getting out of Ground Hog Day today!
1. PRACTICE BEING PRESENT AND AWARE IN THE MOMENT: Being present in the moment allows us to notice the richness of life that we are probably otherwise missing out on. Remember the hit classic movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray playing the self-important narcissistic weatherman Phil Connors who doesn’t take time to be present and appreciate the Ground Hog Day festivities he’s reporting on in Punxsutawney, until he gets stuck in Groundhog Day, waking up at 6:00am Feb 2nd EVERY morning. However, once Phil gets over the frustration of being stuck, he starts to notice a few things.
2. RECOGNIZE THE POWER OF PATTERNS: After being stuck in a rut of repetition for longer than you care to be, it can feel like hellish punishment with no end in sight. OR – another way to look at patterns and repetition is that they help us to grow by making our roadblocks more visible. One thing Paul Hannam mentions about patterns in his book is that once our patterns stop working for us, we’re ready to change. Thus, rather than punishment, identifying patterns can actually be the first step behind transformation change. However, in order to recognize patterns we have to be present in order to change and aware enough to observe and understand just what the patterns or “road blocks” are about. Hence the more distractions we engage in, the harder it is to be aware of our patterns. Is it any wonder about the old saying “Money doesn’t bring happiness?” I think the answer to happiness lies somewhere along the path to self-actualization.
3. CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS – CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS: Dr. Joe Dispenza, DC a respected chiropractic physician and avid brain researcher featured in the movie “What the Bleep Do We Know”, talks about how your thoughts create your reality. Based on brain research, we know that thoughts release different chemicals in the brain that create feelings, and feelings support beliefs. Over time, those beliefs lead to moods and moods lead to personalities. If you’re trying to change your external reality without changing your thoughts first, you may find yourself in Groundhog Day after all. As the saying goes, “Doing the same thing and expecting different outcomes is the definition of insanity”. Here’s a perfect clip from the movie where Phil Connors is clearly ready for new beliefs.
4. ACCEPT THE OLD TRUTH – WELCOME IN THE NEW: When we allow ourselves to accept the old patterns we can let go of the old beliefs and make room for new ones:
Letting go helps us move forward out of Groundhog Day towards new beginnings:
5. PRACTICE SMALL DAILY CORRECTIONS TOWARD CHANGE: With our old beliefs in check and those pesky persistent patterns in mind, every day situations present themselves as an opportunity to choose a different path. These new choices help to bring us out of the old patterns to imprint new pattern and ultimately new realities.
The bonus here is that as we shift focus towards creative change, we move our focus away from the problem allowing new more pleasant realities to manifest.
If you’re experiencing your own version of Groundhog day and want some help getting unstuck, Energetic Business Coaching™ might be just the thing to help identify the patterns, clear the “headtrash“, install new beliefs, and develop an action plan that supports the new reality you’re trying to manifest.
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Loved this blog! What a great discussion of the messages in this movie.