FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED MINUTES
Leap Year, Time, and the Power of Choice
“Seasons of Love” from RENT asks how we measure a year in life. In 2024, we get 527,040 minutes—an extra day to reflect, reset, and redefine. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this post explores how Leap Year offers a rare opportunity to correct our personal universe and choose how we spend our time.
Do you know what that is? Yes, a famous song from RENT, the Broadway show, and the total number of minutes in a year. However, 2024 will see 527,040! Why? 2024 is a Leap Year! What is a Leap Year, and why do we need it, have it, and want it? This day lets us correct the universe. Imagine that! We get to correct the universe!
What needs correcting in your universe? First, you need to define your universe. This could be family, community, work, friendships, obligations… Need I go on? About anything can fit into your universe, and the cool thing is that you get to decide what fits, what stays, and what goes. Take a moment and figure this out. Here, at the beginning of 2024 with an extra day to boot, you get to decide what will fit into your days. What purposes will take your attention? What causes will you support? What obligations will you accept? What time will you devote to the things that you choose?
When you look at the options, the fact that you have a choice is utterly amazing! Too often, we move through life responding without choosing. Here, at the beginning of a Leap Year, you get to leap into the things that you choose. Reflect on the past year and write down the moments that were your greatest highlights. Take note of the choices you made and how you chose to spend your time, your energy, your attention, your money, and all your other resources. This will tell you important things about who you have been. Now, think about who you want to be in this coming Leap Year. The choice is yours!
A Leap Year corrects the universe so that time is standardized and we move forward at a consistent pace. If we apply this principle to looking at how you will spend the coming year, we are looking for standards. The beginning of the year is an exciting time to reflect on our standards. Now, just what is a standard? A standard is defined as a level of quality, an idea used as a model, or a tree growing straight and erect to full height.
What defines your quality? For whom do you serve as a model? How tall do you stand in your family, your community, your work? How straight are you with yourself and others? This year, you will have an extra 24 hours to add to your standard. Think about how to use that time to be clear about who you are, where you are going, and how you will get there.
HAPPY LEAP YEAR!
If you’re ready to make meaningful choices in 2024, therapy can help you clarify your values and direction. Explore individual therapy in Maryland and DC or learn more about therapeutic approaches that support intentional living. For reflections on time and meaning, see Song Meanings and Facts’ analysis of “Seasons of Love”.
By Dr. Gloria K Vanderhorst
