Tomorrow is Groundhog Day--a quirky tradition that contends the duration of winter can be foretold by whether a groundhog, emerging from his burrow, sees his shadow. In the film of the same name, the protagonist, newscaster Phil Connors, finds himself reliving the same day over and over when he goes on location to film a report about the annual custom.

Reliving the same day over and over again. What does that remind you of?

With the second anniversary of Covid restrictions in the U.S. looming, it may strike a nerve. The introduction of those restrictions disrupted our lives and shrunk our worlds.

It feels like the pandemic put us in a timeout, and then got so busy mutating, it forgot to let us out.

You get to be frustrated. Angry. Disappointed. Exasperated. Even salty, but once you’ve felt those feelings, ask this: 

What about the timeout you’ve put YOURSELF in? The one that started LONG before Covid. The one you’ve never even noticed.

In his book Dreaming in the 21^st Century: An Ancient Experience in a New Context, author Will Sharon says: 

"By the time we are in our late 20's we have denied a great deal of ourselves in the service of pursuing objectives that we have decided are important. It is in the natural course of life that we find ourselves searching for the lost parts of ourselves once we have completed the autobiography that we wrote."

That autobiography is a resume, a list of achievements, or an inventory of property or possessions, and it comes with a matching identity--who we think we need to be to complement our autobiography.

I was in a coaching session with a client last week. She’s been going through a rough time, and she’s found some unexpected solace in painting. As we talked about it, I detected some judgment from her, so I asked her about it, and she said, “Well, I’m not an artist, and unless you’re an artist, grown-ups don’t paint.”

Yeah? Who says?

Why did you give up things that brought you joy because you became an adult, a professional, a parent, or an executive? You may resent Covid for taking away some of your freedoms, but do you ever stop to think about what you’ve denied yourself simply because time passed?

Life can feel like Groundhog Day in the absence of play, joyful activities, and spontaneity. And unlike Covid--which we can’t control--we have agency over whether we pick up a paintbrush, build that Lego tower, or dig out the clarinet from the back of the closet.

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. 

Punxsutawney Phil may or may not see his shadow. 

Winter might be long or abbreviated. 

There could be another Covid variant lurking. 

Or, we might be spared that hardship. 

No matter what, you get to decide if you’re going to continue reliving the same day over and over, or if you’re going to break away in search of the lost parts of yourself. 

And if you decide to lace up your skates, give me a shout. 

We can take a spin around the rink together. 

Want more? Check out my blog here.