“Every muscle in my body turned to fire. My bones felt like they were melting. I wanted to scream, but I didn’t have the strength to open my mouth. I began to sink lower and lower into the ground, the sky’s weight crushing me.”

That’s how Percy Jackson described the Titan’s Curse, a tiny design flaw in the universe courtesy of Ouranos and Gaia that requires someone to hold the sky in place so it doesn’t come crashing down upon the earth.

While demigods Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase only bore the curse for a short period of time, their shared traumatic experience was enough to cause any hero to live in fear that they too may be forced into that unenviable position one day.

We’re here to relieve you of that terror with the help of the person who has suffered the curse longer than anyone: the Titan of Endurance himself, Atlas, aka the General. Unlike weak and puny semi-gods like Percy Jackson, Atlas rarely ever complains about the weight of the sky. In fact, he has us convinced that, with the right strength training (and more important, the right mindset), the Titan’s Curse is a total breeze.

Don’t believe us? Read on to learn how the General has managed to carry the weight of the sky on his back for centuries. (He says “You’re welcome,” by the way!)

Dress for the Burden You Want, Not the Burden You Have

Atlas: “First things first, I know what you’re all thinking. Small-minded individuals often see me and conclude that my 100% pure silk suit is an ‘impractical choice of attire’ for my specific curse.

“Well, we Titans are cleverer than you mortals give us credit for. For one thing, is this not the dresswear of all those who have a rightful claim of dominion over this fragile planet?

“What would you expect the great Titan of Endurance, the fearsome general of Lord Kronos’s army to wear? Sweatpants? Those accursed shoes with the individual toe pockets? Don’t make me laugh! (Seriously, I’m trying to conserve oxygen.)

“Beings of my station don’t need to choose between style and comfort as humans do.

“And if you really must know, I was wearing this suit when I was so rudely duped into picking up this burden once more. So even if it is ‘impractical’ and ‘not perspiration-resistant in the slightest,’ as some of you fools claim . . . well, it’s not like I had any choice in the matter.

“But hear these words and tremble: This isn’t even the best suit that I acquired during my recent period of freedom. I have many, many more silk suits in my closet. Suits with price tags that would make even Zeus weak in the knees.

“But then again, the gods have weaker knees than you’ve been led to believe.”

Proper Posture Is Essential

“For you see, I have witnessed firsthand how the pathetic gods and their rotten offspring have struggled with the burden of carrying the sky on their backs, even for just a few moments. To see them quickly buckle under the weight is oh so satisfying.

“I can’t help but notice the abject failure of their technique. An amateur mistake I often see is the tendency to lift rather than carry.

“I really can’t stress this point enough for you dullards: The goal of the curse is to endure the weight, not push it upward.

It doesn’t matter if you’re chained to a support pillar or not: keep your ligaments tight, your torso bent forward, your feet planted, and most important of all: carry the weight on your back, not your arms. Trust me, you will not be able to hold up the sky if you stand up straight and keep the pressure primarily on your palms.

“I can, of course, but I choose not to. That’s a very undignified position for me.”

Burning, Murderous Rage Is Your Friend

“Even if someone possessed my vast strength and endurance (no one does), those who are plagued to hold up the sky are destined to go mad from boredom. And therein lies the true punishment of this terrible curse.

“The gods know they cannot defeat the Titans in battle, so they literally move heaven and earth to destroy our minds. Thankfully, my mind is just as powerful as my body, if not more so. I can handle the endless tedium of this curse due in no small part to my vivid imagination.

“Day after day, I keep myself entertained with visions of my enemies suffering a fate much worse than this. Fantasies of crushing Artemis and the other gods under my heel. Images of the Olympians taking turns carrying this burden.

“Dreams of taking my sweet revenge on Hercules and the other so-called demigod heroes who have forced me to carry this burden time and time again. If only I could exact my final revenge on my wretched daughter Zoë . . . that traitor who had the audacity to fire an arrow at my very skull.

“Of course, the hit didn’t cause me any pain whatsoever. And I was the one who first taught her to always aim for the head. But still, it was a disrespectful and cowardly attack. I curse her stars every night. . . .

“Don’t get me wrong, it was a flawless shot. Very impressive. But very disrespectful.”

Set Your Mind on the Future

“The thing that sustains me most is my unwavering faith in my commander, Lord Kronos. Under his leadership, I know that the day of my freedom and Olympus’s destruction is nearly at hand. In that order, of course.

“Lord Kronos knows that conducting the final strike against the gods without my power at his side would be a grave error in judgment. So, I’m positive that he is prioritizing my release from this curse above all else.

“It’s just taking a little longer than usual because he needs time to gather his strength. But it should be any day now. . . . Any day now. . . .”

Learn more about Atlas and his burden in book three of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse!