“I’m not prepared both to undergo a hard death and anticipate it for a long time.”

“I’m not prepared both to undergo a hard death and anticipate it for a long time.” HRAFN GUDRUNARSON’S TALE, CH. 5

Hrafn Gudrunarson utters this nugget of wise gold to his uncle, Sighvat the Poet.

Before a likely confrontation many are bewailing what may happen when Hfran cuts to the pith and utters the wisdom.

This holds for all life.

Pre Polar Swim I heard many conversations among those of us in line to leap from the jutting rock into the cold river on New Year’s Day.

“How cold do you think that water is?” “It’s gonna be mighty cold.” “I hope I make it.”

When I am asked how cold do you think it is, I reply

“Are you going to get in the water?”

“Yes.”

“Then there’s no point in being cold before you are cold.”

My story, or Hrafn’s far better story, is not to illuminate “cool” but to put into stark relief the energy expended in “pre-experiences.”

Before any risky task, be that a polar plunge, displaying your wares in a pole-dance class recital, pondering a new haircut we often belabor ourselves [and others] with the following: ”People may laugh/not like what I do/not care [the most likely option] or… [insert other worry here.]”

“I’m not prepared both to undergo a hard death and anticipate it for a long time. “

Hrafn is prepared to go do what needs to be done, BUT he is wisely unwilling to undo that preparation by indulging in “pre-experiences” which are no experience at all.  

He puts no time into the bitching, the guessing, the supposing.

He prepares for one thing, and one thing only THE ACTION ITSELF.

Humans are economical animals, that is, a bit lazy. The more energy we expel with blah-blah-blah, whether that yakking be worry, second and third guesses, or more fables of “Here’s what I’m gonna be when I grow up” that energy is taken from building the fortitude to do, which in the end is all that matters.

What you do. Not what you intend. Not what you say you’re going to do. Not what your grand theme of yourself as a super-special person is. Only what you actually D-O.

And the more we wisely conserve preparation energy Hrafn style, the more energy we will have to do more things and to do them with Hrafn’s aplomb.

“I’m not prepared both to undergo a hard death and anticipate it for a long time.”

"Til að tala minna og ganga meira."

“To less talk and more walk.”