Trying to Find Your Way in the Dark? Even Punxsutawney Phil Needs a Little Help.

Ah, it’s that time of year again. We’re smack dab in the middle of winter, tired of the cold, short days, yet, insanely hopeful that a little groundhog will shed some light on the coming of brighter days. Good old Phil. This guy is under a lot of pressure to produce some serious results. People’s coping mechanisms are tied up in how much longer this winter is going to go on. Millions of people. Hoping. Praying. Hanging on what he decides.Frankly, I would crack under that kind of pressure. Does Phil? No. Why? My hunch is, one, he’s a small woodland creature. He doesn’t give two hoots about whether or not there are six more weeks. He needs to keep on keepin’ on, trying to find food and not get eaten by a coyote, regardless of the seasons. He’s got priorities.Two, this guy has a team. (For reals. Check out this talk and then google it.) Woodland creature or not, we all need a little support and perspective when making choices or changes in our life.I’m not going to sell you the “What would Phil do?” bumper sticker, but maybe Phil has more to tell us than, “Spring is coming” — eventually.Some decisions are hard. Maybe others aren’t so big, but we blow them up. Is this the right car to buy? Should I leave my job? Latte or mocha today?What if you pulled a Phil and kept it all in perspective?Phil’s got his team. Where do you get your support and perspective? Do you:Take a poll of your friends and family?Google it and guess?Consult your Magic 8 ball?Listen to your gut?How does Phil come to his decision? He comes up out of his dark place. He comes into the light. And then he sees his shadow—and that’s where we say goodbye to Phil.We mustn't run from our shadows if we want to experience deep change. Change requires being honest with ourselves and bringing our deep wants and needs out of the darkness.Are you really making decisions—or are you hiding behind false choices or the sense there is no choice at all?What if you brought it all into the light—the worries, the celebrations, the potential? Because we can’t deal with what we can’t see.It’s time to stop fearing the shadows. If Phil sees his shadow, there may be six more weeks of winter, but spring is coming one way or another.So what about your shadows? Maybe you have some cold, hard days to get through, but think about what comes next. You, my friend, will be happier if you stop fearing the “what-ifs” and dark places and start casting some light in that direction. Things often seem more terrifying in the dark, but in the light we can see that what we are dealing with isn’t as big and scary as we made it out to be.Pull one thing into the light today. Write down or tell somebody about something that’s been on your mind, but you haven’t been able to or ready to talk about.  Phil’s got his team—don’t be afraid to lean on yours. In the comments below, I’d love to hear about a decision you need to make or something you've been hiding in shadows that you’re ready to shine some light on.