Slow down

The weekend was my "rest time" - in quotes because I think I walked more than I've ran in the past two weeks! Getting to see the Niagara gorge though, was absolutely worth it. I wasn't very keen about hiking for hours on end, but still went along with a friend and had a great experience. The greenery and the sound of the running river water were mesmerizing! It made me wonder though about the difference between walking and running. I've always liked walking - at least I don't have to worry about keeling over and being out of breath. It just lets me take in a lot more of my surroundings in. The greenery on this particular hike just helped me clear my mind. Somewhere at the end of our 5 (ish) mile hike, I just stood around staring at leaves and thinking about just how green and beautiful they were. Slowing down is helpful sometimes.

The first year of MBA studies doesn't always give much time to slow down, but the time is very much necessary - to keep calm, to keep clear, and to maintain optimism. We rarely ever stop to say hi to the shuttle drivers or ask them how their day was, or chat with the cafe server who only caters to MBA students who are running late for a class or a meeting or a party. Slowing down helps us pay attention to things we might have missed, had we been running, and yet running might be the only way to get to our destination in time.

Bottom Line: Walking brings more into you, running takes more out of you. It is a (probably stupid) play on words - appreciate them both.