My own Groundhog Day...

“What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?” (Phil Connors) - from the movie, Groundhog Day. Indeed, many of us are stuck in the same place every day and don’t realize it. We tend to do the same things, to get into ruts that feel comfortable, even if they aren’t very productive. That’s true of our personal lives and of our professional lives.

It’s really a human nature thing to seek a comfort zone and stay there, unless rooted out by some un-natural happening. Sometimes that may be the biggest contribution of the so-called life coaches that are everywhere these days – to force you out of those comfort zones and into stretches that will improve your life. That’s a role that my office manager sometimes plays for me. Every now and then we all need a little kick in the rear to get started or to change direction and she provides that; mostly in a positive, encouraging way, rather than criticizing. My wife will occasionally be even more direct, telling me to stop being Eeyore, if I’m a little down or negative on something.

For those who saw the movie, the character Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) was initially freaked and bummed when he realized what was happening. Then he went through a crazy period (the intentional car crash scene – since he knew he’d be alive the next day again). But, then he decided to do some positive things to change the reoccurring world around him; becoming a doctor and surgeon to save the little boy who fell from the tree and learning play the piano to help out at the dance.

I think that is the key to success in our lives too. Even though every day feels a lot like the last, we should starting doing things to improve ourselves and bring change to the world around us. Perhaps it will be something that has great positive impact on the lives of others or perhaps it will just be something that gives us a more fulfilled feeling or sense of self-worth. There are certainly opportunities everywhere in every community for volunteer work or charity causes that need our help.

One of my annual opportunities to help is coming up soon. We host a Lenten soup supper at our church every year. Every year for the last 5 years I go and help with that. The supper is run my the ladies of the church and they don’t really need my help with most things, but I did discover that none of them really liked bussing the tables and doing the clean-up work during and after the supper, so that’s what I do. I’ve found that choosing to doing the jobs that no one else really wants to do can be very satisfying and fulfilling. There are always jobs like that in any endeavor.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see one of those jobs in real estate. I was on floor duty when a gentleman walked in and started looking around. Of course, I did the standard pop-tart routine, “Hi may I help you?” He told me that he’d been to several real estate offices and no one wanted to help him. He was looking for a very inexpensive home (under $20,000 and probably a HUD house). He wasn’t yet pre-qualified and some agents had told him that they wouldn’t even talk to him without a pre-qualification. Sound like something you might do?

Anyway, I spent about 30 minutes with him, pulling what listings I could see on the MLS (he also was looking in the next county over which made the MLS search a bit less productive, since the MLS from that county doesn’t exchange data with th MLS in my county) and I showed him how to find HUD homes on line. He left with a hand full of listings to investigate (I recommend drive-bys first) and my card. I told him that I’d refer him to a good agent from our company over in that county, if he wanted someone to help him there. Will I ever hear from him again or get anything out of this? Who cares, it was the right thing to do and it was something different in my otherwise Groundhog-like day.