Finding Purpose in your Day
On Tuesday next week, 2 February, Phil the woodchuck will emerge from his burrow and determine whether it will be an early spring or an extended winter. He does this by seeing, or not, his shadow. You’ll have encountered Phil before if you are a fan of Bill Murray movies because Phil, or Punxatawny Phil to give him his full title, is a groundhog and he really exists.
The movie Groundhog Day is fictional of course and it remains one of my favourites even though my life, at times, feels like it is imitating this particular piece of art. In fact, no; it remains a favourite precisely because of the imitation and its relevance right now is something from which we can learn.
Reliving the same day over and over again sends the central character a bit barmy. At first, he becomes angry, upset and depressed then he feels sorry for himself and gives up on doing anything. Before long, his mindset changes as he realises the opportunity for wild fun and excessive behaviour since every day is a re-set. So he eats and drinks as much as he likes without fear of the consequences. But living superficially like this is not enduring either and he eventually learns the key to a happy life which is the central point of the film.
What he needs out of every single day is some purpose and it is his job to find it. By taking an interest in others and being observant of what is going on, that’s how he mines his purpose. So, over time, he learns to play the piano, read more widely, become an ice sculptor, learn first aid, help others in trouble and even stop a bank robbery.
There is a repetitive feel to our lives at the moment but, unlike the film, things are moving forward and we must recognise that. Life is hard, for sure, not helped by the dark and miserable weather preventing us from letting off steam outside but that is all the more reason to look for purpose in each and every day and work hard to maintain balance and freshness in the things that we do.
This week I have encouraged the children to prepare themselves for the day ahead as they normally would when coming in to school. Being up in good time, washed and dressed and with a decent breakfast inside will help them feel fresh and ready. Using a planner to arrange events for the family to look forward to is worth trying, as is the creation of little challenges and short-term targets. There are ideas for sport, music and art on our Padlet site (SA Padlet Front Page) as well as other websites such as this one for instance: Fun Physical Challenges. They are not all easy but they may just provide the balance and purpose that each day needs.
Three children who have put their efforts to great purpose this last week are Poppy Campion (Year 8), Ben Falconer (Year 3), and Dakota Kane (Year 5). Dakota has raised over £60 from the sale of her home-made ‘Pony Pops’ (aka horse treats). Selling them at £5 a box, all the money is going to the Brain Tumour Charity. Meanwhile Poppy completed a virtual triathlon last weekend in aid of Macmillan Cancer. Running 2km, swimming 400m in the icy Atlantic, and battling a hail-storm to cycle a further 8km, she raised over £3000. Finally, young Ben cycled 51km on Sunday on Zwift raising money for rugby player Doddie Weir’s MND Charity. The cycle was led by Sir Chris Hoy who sent Ben a message of congratulations afterwards which he was very excited about. Louise Minchin from BBC Breakfast also waited for him to cycle the last 1km. A wonderful effort from all three.
Congratulations are also owed to the 67 children who took and passed the LAMDA exams at the end of the last term. With 39 distinctions and 28 merits, these were an impressive set of results and my thanks go to Mrs Adams for her preparation and support.
Parents might be interested to know about the Big Garden Birdwatch initiative, organised by the RSPB. Taking place this weekend, the idea is to encourage families to take more interest in the natural activities of their garden visitors. Further details can be found here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/
Finally, this week, may I say thank you to you, as parents. It’s a tough job at the moment and I know you will be wearing many hats, including that of a teacher even though you never signed up for that privilege. In many ways, you don’t need to be; just being a motivator and encourager while the teachers teach; that’s the best hat to wear. The children are doing so well but more volatile emotions are in evidence and they sometimes need to be reminded that everything will be ok. If they make a mistake or struggle to complete a piece of work, it is not the end of the world. If they need time away from a lesson, that is fine too. They will be able to catch up and they will get the support of their teachers, as always.
Once again, I do hope you all can enjoy some fresh air and healthy exercise over the next couple of days while keeping safe of course. Happy weekend everyone!