Groundhog Day

Did you ever wake up in the morning, hit the snooze button on your alarm clock and think "Ugh...not this day again?" I can definitely say that I've felt this way once or twice :) Every morning on my walk to the train I see the same two ladies walking with the baby stroller and the same crossing guard directing traffic at the intersection at the end of my block.  When you're stuck in the daily pattern of your life it can sometimes start to feel like you're trapped in a repetitive cycle of events that don't seem to be changing.  

In one of my favorite movies,"Groundhog Day," the lead character is stuck living the same day over and over and over again.  Initially he tries to manipulate the situations for his personal gain but that doesn't break the cycle. Then he decides to reject the situation and end his life to get out of it.  That doesn't work either. Only when he accepts his situation and tries to make the best out of it does he finally wake up to a different day.   

There is a famous Jewish story about Reb. Zusha and how when he was passing away he cried, "When I pass from this world and appear before the Heavenly Tribunal, they won't ask me, 'Zusha, why weren't you as wise as Moses or as kind as Abraham,' rather, they will ask me, 'Zusha, why weren't you Zusha?' Why didn't I fulfill my potential, why didn't I follow the path that could have been mine." 

Many times in life we have a vision of how we expect things to be. Ultimately we're not in control of how our life unfolds but only our reaction to the things that happen around us.  What Reb. Zusha was worried about was not whether or not he was able to change his path and best someone else in what they accomplished, but if he was able to embrace HIS OWN path and maximize the potential of what he could have accomplished with what he was given.  

When I feel myself slip into the pull of repetition in my daily routine I try to stop and mindfully ask myself "Am I in a place of acceptance or rejection right now? Am I maximizing this moment? Am I learning and growing from this experience?" Although we can't control what happens around us, through controlling your reactions and with some thoughtful reflection you could end up changing yourself. When you change yourself -- that's when things start to change around you and only then can you wake up to a different day.