Faster is not always better...

Faster is faster: quicker, over and done, hurried.

Faster is not necessarily being fully present, experiencing through each of our senses, staying grounded.

The waterfall reminds of me of this.  When I visited the northern Georgia Appalachian Trail, the waterfalls surprised me.  The June weather made it possible to easily get into the water and experience its fall. Looking at the photo, there doesn't seem to be a lot of water falling, but that's not how it felt: Under the falls, I felt pummeled by the water and, when I lost my footing along the rocky floor, I feared I'd be overcome by the water above and below me.  Within a few seconds I regained my steadiness and started to enjoy the unique sensation (it wasn't at all like taking a shower!).

Resisting the urge to just "run through" the falls like I would have a sprinkler as a child -- choosing with intention to be in the moment --- to feel the falls on my head, face, arms -- feeling it's temperature, smelling the unique freshness.  That's my message to myself today.

It's my last full day in San Diego at an incredible conference with a long run planned at lunch time.  I will try to experience the day remembering that faster (even during my run) is not always better.