Lessons Learned From a Groundhog

Today I spent a lot of time thinking about Groundhog day and what I might learn from a groundhog. After all, it was Groundhog Day, a weird holiday on which we wait for an animal to come out of its hole. We then determine if he saw his shadow or not, a fact that determines if spring will come soon or not.

Here’s what I learned from the action of this groundhog–and how we react to his behavior:

Humans have a great need to look outside themselves for answers. We need to look within ourselves.

Humans like to find a way to predict things. Relying on the shadow of a groundhog seems a pretty hokey way to predict anything, even the coming of spring. We should rely on our on intuition and knowledge when it comes to predicting anything.

Humans, like animals, have a tendency to hide in holes. We need to come out of our holes and look around, interact with people and see the world. And we need to do this more than once a year. If you don’t know what hole you hide in, figure it out. Then find a way out of your hole every day. You might also want to figure out why you hide in your hole.

Humans tend to to run back into their holes too quickly, just like the groundhog on Groundhog’s Day. When you do come out of your hole, don’t hurry back in. Take some time to enjoy the scenery, to meet some people, to explore the countryside, to check out what’s going on, to learn some things, etc. Don’t be in such a hurry to burrow back inside.

Humans, like groundhogs, are predictable. We tend to come out of our holes at certain times, like on a holiday or for a specific event. We enjoy the predictability. That’s a good thing; rituals and holidays help us mark the time and come together in community. However, it’s good to be unpredictable sometimes. Do something unexpected occasionally. Don’t always do the same thing, the same way at the same time. People will be waiting, expecting you to show up and do the same thing at the same time in the same way. Maybe you should surprise them once in a while. See what happens.