This year, I decided to give up some of my time and devote it to reading liturgical readings every morning. It has been nice, not only to incorporate more of my faith into my day, but to do something consciously.  Now whether anyone reading this is religious, non-religious, spiritual, agnostic, etc., I think you can relate to the fact that we are always making choices of what to do with our time. But how conscious are we of those choices?  When you reflect on any given day, how many of these choices were made without much thought—a matter of route routine or habit?  To what are we giving up the minutes of our day?  And what is our attitude toward those choices?  Do we feel obligated, forced, ambivalent (choosing that which requires the least amount of effort)?

The irony in seeing Pope Francis listed as number 1 in the Fortune’s top 50 World Leaders for 2014, only brings to a head that the short 40 day period where one decides to do or not do something could mean more if this type of action became a way of life.  Each day leaders, like the Pope, make conscious decisions for themselves that ripple out to everyone around them.  Sacrificing time and replacing it with meaningful action, decisive discourse, and an unyielding spirit.  The Saturday before Easter signals the end of Lent and, for some, the freedom to resume life as usual.  While others will return to eating sweets and watching TV, I will do what I can to continue making conscious choices and, hopefully, those choices will not only result in a better ‘me’, but influence others in a positive way as well.