Today, Phil the Groundhog woke up and saw his shadow, thereby predicting that we will have 6 more weeks of winter. As is true with everything climate related, even Phil can get it wrong sometimes.
Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that I went into the final days of 2020 hoping and praying that 2021 would bring respite from the chaos, drama, and stress that confinement, isolation, and loss brought into our lives last year.
Now that the new year has come and we are still dealing with many of the same issues that plagued us in 2020, it looks like we may have put just a little too much faith in something as arbitrary as a date in a calendar that has only been in use since Pope Gregory XIII introduced it in 1582!
The reality is that we all have a choice in creating our future and deciding how we approach today. We can start each day with intention and choose to move forward with courage and resilience.
I remember writing a blog post about four years ago, encouraging everyone to reach out to each other and support each other, and try to unite and understand one another, regardless of your individual views and opinions about politics, health care, or any other aspect of human existence that has the potential to divide us. Even though at times it feels as though everything has changed, perhaps nothing has really changed all that much. We still need to find ways to come together in community, government, business, and family to survive and thrive in the current environment.
Today I challenge you to channel your inner groundhog and decide your own fate. Make today different by choosing to move away from the darkness of winter, and find the light of optimism, faith, and hard work in the face of adversity. No matter what Phil says, we can make an effort over the next 6 weeks to be strong, stay vigilant and find patience with one another.
Try to do at least one of these things each day to keep your spirit, your mind and your body strong:
- Listen – quietly
- Breathe – deeply
- Laugh – loudly
- Dance – freely
- Sing – often
- Love – always
Winter may not be done with us yet, but we can be done with winter and hold our heads up high with the knowledge that we will get through this together – and Spring is right around the corner.
Happy Groundhog Day!
John
John Henning is the Chief Client Officer at Granite Solutions Groupe. He has over 35 years of leadership experience in the financial services and technology industries, and currently oversees all client account management, professional services, marketing strategy, business development and sales operations for GSG.