...Hi, Yvonne. How's it going?
Great to see you, Judy ... bright and early, I see!
Lifeguard Yvonne's familiar greeting - smiling and upbeat - registered anew this particular morning. As I headed into the pool locker room, I wondered how many times we'd exchanged these same words over the years.
I flashed on the movie Groundhog Day, in which the actor Bill Murray is Phil, the self-absorbed TV weatherman caught in a time loop and forced to relive the same day (Groundhog Day) over and over again.
I saw myself in a similar movie, each morning a replay of the one before: Hi Yvonne, how's it going? Hi Judy! Great to see you! How many times had I said comparable words, walked through the same locker room door, and greeted my familiar pool buddies ... (Hi Bev, Hi Betty, Hey Ellen)? How many first chilly dips, backstrokes, hot tubs, showers, changeups, and home to breakfast, the computer, a workshop or meeting?
Groundhog Day - and this sense of repeating the same day over and over - stayed with me. I saw how that thought - same day, same people, same words, smiles, gestures, conversations - could seriously depress one's mood ... or ... as it finally did with Phil, cause one to seriously consider what life is all about.
Things Change
What is life about? Until he found the answer, Phil was destined to wake up on the same day each morning, going through the same motions and believing that "nothing that you did mattered." Like the groundhog he was trying to catch on tape, Phil only saw his own shadow.
He gradually began to wake up to the possibility that even though every day was a replay, he could change how he approached it; he could change himself. Phil continued to encounter the same people and events at the same time each day, but he saw that his actions could influence them for better or worse.
Since time wasn't a factor and every day offered a new opportunity to practice, he experimented with a newfound desire to do good. He bought daily meals for a homeless man, saved the life of a choking restaurant diner, fixed flat tires, complimented, served, and generally made others happier. As he changed himself, he changed his world. And ... finally, ... he woke up on a new day - the day after Groundhog Day.
Practice
I thought about all of this on my way home from the pool. What if my only goal today was to encourage and support everyone I meet, my sole purpose on earth to help others be happier? How would I feel? How different would my world be?
It's possible to see life as a series of habits, some more useful than others. Feeling grumpy is a habit of mind that reinforces grumpiness. Smiling and extending positive ki (energy) is a habit that increases joy. Each habit produces effects that expand in ever increasing circles outward from the source. What do I want to be a source for?
When my day starts to feel repetitive, perhaps I'm looking at the wrong set of criteria. Instead of focusing on how many times I've said hello, I might be better served (and better serve others) by asking how I say hello - to observe the purpose behind the action rather than the action itself. Am I extending joy or pain? What kind of waves radiate from my state of being? How am I influencing my relationships, my environment, the world ...?
Habits of mind are like physical habits. Choose to practice ones that increase happiness and lightness of being and you'll wake up in a new world, too, just like Phil!
Author Resource:-
Judy Ringer is the author of Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in Daily Conflict and the award-winning e-zine Ki Moments. Judy is a nationally known presenter, specializing in unique workshops on conflict, communication, and creating a positive work environment. She is the founder of Power & Presence Training and Portsmouth Aikido, Portsmouth, NH, USA. To sign up for more free tips and articles like these, visit
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