Yesterday, my wife and I hiked around a local lake. It was an amazing, hour-long walk along a beautiful, wooded trail.

But ten minutes into the hike, we noticed something: we were walking really fast. This wasn’t our intention.

We laughed. We had blocked off a few hours. There was no need to rush; we had all the time we needed.

So we slowed down. We soaked in the moment.

An empty calendar does not a vacation make. More than anything, our frame of mind sets the stage for experiencing rest and connection.