The leap year was first instituted by Julius Caesar. He created a 12 month, 365-day calendar that was based on the one which the early Egyptians used. A leap year is a year with 366 days in it, instead of the usual 365. Leap years only occur in years that are evenly divisible by 4. A leap year is necessary because the actual length of each year is 365.25 days, not 365 days. So every 4 years, we would have gone through approximately 1 extra day than noted. As a result, every 4 years, we have one extra day in our calendar: February 29th. Basically, we use the leap year to sync our calendar with the Earth’s revolutions around the Sun.
Now aside from the extra day, a leap year has almost no effect on the majority of people, minus those who are born on February 29th. But why can’t it mean something more?
As humans, we are always waiting for the right time to do the things that we have to do, and sometimes that is the right call. However, other times, we are just letting laziness get the better of us or being reluctant to engage in whatever difficult task may lie ahead. For those people who are waiting for that time to come, when everything fits into place and the road ahead is clear, I want you to realize that you can clear your own path.
I urge you to use this year to chase after those experiences that you want to have, the ones that excite you, and scare you, and throw yourself into them. Do not let the next three years go by without accomplishing some of your goals, regardless of what they are. Relinquish the baggage you have that weighs you down, whether that be a bad relationship or the few extra pounds that take away your confidence, past failures you may be holding onto, or time wasted that always seems to haunt you.
Confront the fears that have been holding you back from living up to your potential. This year, have faith and take that leap!
P.S. To those of you who are born on February 29th, a very special happy birthday to you!