Word Power

My all-time favourite movie quote is from Chariots of Fire, one of my all-time favourite movies.  It's a true story about two British runners who competed in the 1924 Olympics.  I have paraphrased the quote only slightly...

God made me fast. 

And when I run, I feel His pleasure.

The quote has stuck with me for the three and half decades since I first saw the film.  The screenplay, by Colin Welland, deservedly won an Oscar.  The words are spoken by Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish missionary. 
I don't believe in God -  at least not the God that Liddell refers to - but I've thought about these words so much recently that they've almost become a mantra of mine, and have helped me get through some of  the worst days of winter. 

I've always yearned to feel the sort of blissful inspiration expressed in that quote.  I don't run, nor have I been doing anything that has invoked divine pleasure.  Yoga is supposed to do that, but I haven't been practising it much, and it's been a long while since my longest-held passions, acting and writing, have transported me from the mundane. 
This quote has been a much needed beacon for me.  The words are so powerful that when I think about them, I feel a flash of what Welland so eloquently describes through the character of Liddell.  It reminds me that peak experiences are possible, especially when I'm doing something I love.  Such is the power of words; they can heal and inspire.  Surely that's what heartfelt prayers and apologies are meant to do. 
My muse hasn't been around lately, because she only shows up if I do, which I haven't done.  I think things will be easier when the Sun, a pagan deity if there ever was one, finally returns.  In the meantime, I'll continue to muse on beautiful words that have the power to brighten the darkest days. 
So mote it be.
- G.P.