Inspired Leap - You are far more brilliant than you think you are!

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.

-Benjamin Franklin

Even when we understand the value of time, it's easy to get caught up in the to-do list and our commitments, so consider this leap year as a chance to re-connect with the precious gift of time. Don't expect yourself to transform all of your days and moments to ones with heightened awareness of the present moment and the gift of the time. However, you can do that for one day, especially if you break it into chunks of time.

What will you do this year with your one extra day? Perhaps you'll be hard at work on February 29th, with commitments using up much of that 24 hours. But there's nothing that says you can't envision this 24 hours of extra time being savored over the next few months, weeks, or days.

Take a moment to daydream about receiving a gift of 24 hours of time just for you. What would you do with it? Don't let money or work or family commitments get in the way right now-this daydream is just for you. As I discussed in last month's newsletter, you've got to give yourself permission to dream first. You can always scale back if you need to, but you need an ideal starting place.

Would you:

Spend a day in a comfy chair reading a novel;
Hike in the woods on a trail you've been meaning to explore;
See four movies in a row;
Be pampered at a spa;
Visit a new museum you've wanted to explore;
Play golf at two of your favorite courses;
Stay in your p.j.'s and watch old movies or reruns;
Go shopping, out to lunch or dinner, or more with friends;
Spend it in bed with your lover; or
Meditate, journal, or worship at your favorite spiritual center.

Now take that daydream and break it down into managable and affordable parts. Remember you've got 24 extra hours. No one said you have to assume some of those hours are for sleep...of course that might be your ideal 24 hours!

Consider looking at your extra 24 hours as a reflection of what really matters to you, or as a reflection of your ideal day:

Do you have time in there for connecting with people, pets, or places that you love? One of your hours could be a phone call that you've been meaning to make with a dear friend.
You spend a lot of time at work (whatever form "work" takes for you). Do you love it? If not, maybe one of your hours could be spent daydreaming or visualizing the career you want.
Are you feeling healthy? Could one or more of your hours be spend doing something you love in a way that celebrates your commitment to living a healthy life? This isn't about guilt. It's about joyfully using your "extra" time in a way that moves you toward what you desire.
Are you too serious and focused on achieving your goals? Maybe what you need to do with your 24 hours is spend it all on playing or doing frivolous things, with no thought to others, to higher values, or to any other "shoulds" that come up for you.
Trust yourself and pay attention to what you yearn to do with this gift of 24 hours. The only mistake you can make is to not allow yourself to play this game at all. And, even then, it's simply a missed opportunity to learn about and love yourself. There will be others.

Finally, I feel compelled to end with reference to the powerful and poignent song, Seasons of Love, from the play and movie, Rent. It's been playing through my head as I write this month's newsletter. And, as I send this to you on the day after Valentine's Day, perhaps the lyrics are a beautiful reminder to think about the value of time.

525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of love.

May you take advantage of this gift of awareness of the value of time and use it to leap toward the career and life you want!

With thanks for the time to write and connect with each of you and the hope that you will grab the gift of time and use it to explore whatever you desire,