WWGD?

Yesterday I helped some friends move.

It turned out to be a very challenging day. Allow me to list the ways: we only got started around 2pm and we had to move two different places one after the other into one house, we were only a few at any one time, it took us 40 minutes to get the couch out of the appartment because the hallway was so tight, we almost didn't get a moving truck, what started out as a nice day turned bitter cold later in the afternoon and no one was dressed for it, the guy who was moving hurt his back, I almost twisted my ankle twice, we got the truck stuck in 6 inch ruts of pure ice and had to be pulled out, it was dark and cold and started to snow by the time we started loading the truck at the second location, we didn't really stop to eat we just had a couple snacks as we drove, we were exhausted, and only one of us could unload the full moving truck at a time while the others moved inside because we had minimal clothing to keep warm outside so one guy unload the first third and then I unloaded the rest, the last load was all heavy books and weight training equipment, I almost got my bare hands stuck to cold steel bars outside.

On the plus side: no one was seriously injured, nothing was really damaged, everytime we had a challenge the Universe delivered a solution, and everyone got a terrific strength-conditioning and toughness workout that lasted close to 12 hours!

AND I got to try out a powerful active meditation!

Here's what I did:

When we were unloading the last truck at 10:30 pm in -20 C temperature (with the windchill) and I was walking up the grooved metal ramp into the back of the moving truck to bring in the 47th bankers' box full of heavy books (there must have been 100 - at least it feels like it) , instead of letting my thoughts gravitate to the negative with things like "I'm exhausted, freezing, and hungry and I wish I was inside eating right now!" I told myself, what would Gotrek do? and it always got me going.

Now, Gotrek Gurnisson is one of my favorite fictional book characters ever. In my mind he is the greatest warrior to ever grace the pages of a fantasy novel. From the Warhammer universe, Gotrek is a Dwarf and a member of the Slayer Cult. What this means is that in his past he did something to bring great shame to his family or clan in some way and now he has taken the oath to find his doom in battle with the most fearsome monsters in the hope of atoning for his sins. The thing with Gotrek is that he has a powerful magical axe and he has killed everything he ever faced, even an insanely powerful Chaos Deamon! The simple truth is that Gotrek is a super muscular, super strong, super conditioned and super tough monster slaying machine. He is just unstoppable and the tougher things get, the more he likes it... because he loves the challenge. In "Slayer" novels by William King and Nathan Long (of which their are 9, soon to be 10), Felix is Gotrek's human Rememberer - sworn to record his doom in an epic poem - and follows the invincible Slayer wherever he goes, therefore he has become a accomplished warrior as well, killing a dragon no less. So if you look for the books, they'll all be about "Gotrek & Felix".

Anyway, so that's who I was picturing in my mind when I felt my resolve slip a little. I simply brought a vivid image of this near-invincible warrior with limitless energy to mind and I allowed that inspiration to open up my energy flow and allow me to keep going. And today, I really don't feel that bad. My arms and back are a little bit sore from all the lifting and I could use a few more hours of sleep, but other than that, I feel great!

The point is that if you know of something that really inspires or motivates you to do something, use that image to give you energy and power when you need it. Use every (healthy) tool at your disposal. It can be the difference between success and failure.

CHB

Copyright © Charles Begin

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