"Do you plan to hike rim-to-rim in one day?" asked my colleague when I shared my plan with her to hike the Grand Canyon last week.
"Never, we will hike from winter to fall and back to winter" was my response, "and we will take 3 full days to do so."

So we went down on South Kaibab trail on a beautiful day after a snow storm and took lots of 'beauty breaks' to absorb the endless variety of colors, forms and shadows that inspire and relax at the same time. No cell phone signal. That helps to focus on serenity and forever changing beauty for hours. I felt my 'inner clock' slowing down, my thoughts relax and my eyes open wider for the miracles around me.

Susanna and I hiked the Grand Canyon in January for the 4th year in a row to experience this rich contrast in different nuances: Deep winter on the rim - spring temperatures at Phantom Ranch with the option to enjoy the Colorado River beach.

Oh, and there is this one purposeful day in between, without strenuous hiking experience or internet connection. First observation: Strangers talk to each other! We connected with 3 young Amish couples on their honeymoon trip. What an eye-opening conversation and unique opportunity to learn more about a completely unique human lifestyle!

On the 6-hour hike back up to winter wonderland I learned that I have little impact on the exact time to arrive on top. However, I have 100% control of my next step and how I feel about it. Joyful conversations with lots of laughter turned out to be a catalyst for the entire hike: I LOVED the intensity of the 9.8 miles hike and 4800 ft altitude difference.

RELAXED INTENSITY turned out to be more effective than rushing and pushing for personal records.

How can this valuable attitude be transferred to other real life situations?