Ask 100 people what is most precious in this world and you will get a myriad of answers. A majority of them probably wouldn’t even include the physical riches we often label as valuable.

No, the most precious commodity isn’t one you can hold in your hand or stash away in a bank vault. It is something we all desperately want more of and long for when it is running short or gone.

Time.

It is one thing we have no control over but without it nothing else is possible.

But what if you had an extra day?

Guess what? Technically you do.

The biggest question remains: What are you going to do with it?

Everyone probably knows this is a “leap year,” meaning there are 29 days in February and 366 days on the 2016 calendar.

The whole concept is somewhat confusing but the concept is adding this extra day every four years helps keep our paper calendars aligned with seasonal and astrological events.

So, again, what if you had one extra day?

Now, I know it may not feel like you really have an extra one because the 29th is a day of the week like any other. So all the normal things that have to get done on a Monday don’t just disappear.

Kids still have to go to school. Most of us will still dash off to work. Grocery shopping. Household chores. Personal commitments. None of these go away.

Although it would really be awesome if we actually added an eighth day to the week (we could call it Someday, Heyday, Funday or someone smarter than me could come up with something more clever and original), that’s not reality.

Regardless, the hustle and bustle of life doesn’t change the fact we actually have 366 days in 2016. So there truly is more time. Maybe we treat this Sunday as our “extra” day or find another before the year is out.

If we all thought of it like that we would make a huge difference in our own lives and in the world.

Maybe we spend the day more focused on family or volunteering in the community. Maybe it is for some much needed rest and relaxation you wouldn’t allow yourself any other time. Maybe we use the day to analyze our lives and ensure we are spending the other 365 the way we truly want.

Over the course of our lives we will probably have 15 or 20 “extra” days. Imagine the impact that could be made if we maximized those hours.

Our time on this earth is fleeting and more precious than ever. Let’s all make sure we don’t just leap ahead with our lives. Let’s not waste a second of our “extra” time.

 

Michael Caldwell is the publisher of Leader Publications LLC. He can be reached at (269) 687-7700 or by email at mike.caldwell@leaderpub.com.