Today is the day for bold initiative.  Imagine having been born on this of all days of the calendar year, only to be able to mark your birthday once every four years? Or at least that is how we have been taught it works.  But there are calendar rules that exist to determine when, and if, this day occurs on your calendar.

In the Gregorian calendar, the calendar used by most modern countries, the following three criteria determine which years will be leap years:

1. Every year that is divisible by four is a leap year

2. Of those years, if it can be divided by 100, it is NOT a leap year, unless

3. The year is divisible by 400. Then it is a leap year.

According to the above criteria, that means that years 1800, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2500 are NOT leap years, while year 2000 and 2400 are leap years. It is interesting to note that 2000 was somewhat special as it was the first instance when the third criterion was used in most parts of the world.

Which now brings us to the promotional aspect of the day.  We have always held dear to the idea that February 29th is marked as "Sadie Hawkins Day", the day that eligible females, in the face of breaking all traditions, reserve to propose marriage.  The Sadie Hawkins tradition is born from the Al Capp comic strip Li'l Abner, where the character was so ugly that her father, the Mayor of Dog Patch, feared he could never marry her off. It was a race of females chasing males, who were given a ten second head start, across a football field.  If the woman caught the man, Marry'n Sam would do the honors immediately after the race at the goal line.

But the first Sadie Hawkins Day race actually was held at a football homecoming game of Morris-Harvey versus New River State on November 1, 1938.  The race and mock wedding were the feature between halves of the football game.  Al Capp attended one of the annual Sadie Hawkins rituals during the 1940's at Morris-Harvey. Unfortunately, football and Sadie Hawkins Day, have ceased to exist at the college.

Use today as a spring board into action.  Take the leap and race toward your goal, with all the fervor of Sadie Hawkins, and catch the prize. The ceremony of winning is at the goal line, and many of us fall short of reaching the goal.  The run at the goal is challenging but sprint out completely today, for it will be over quicker than the time it took to arrive.  Celebrate with the Leap Day Babies, for only they know how to really celebrate a birthday.  Take bold initiative and make something extraordinary happen in your business today.

And as always, we welcome your comments.

The Plain Page Prophets