Michi met Ellena at the station nearest to his office. Her facial features, which were unusually large for a Japanese person, combined with her unmatched height, gave her an approachable aura that Michi found appealing. Standing at an average height for a Japanese man, Michi was instantly smitten with Ellena, who had the atmosphere of a Japanese person but the physique of a Westerner.
The first words Michi exchanged with Ellena were, “Excuse me, do you have a moment?” Turning around at the sound of the voice behind him, Michi managed only a stunned “Y…” He was so struck by her appearance that he forgot to finish saying “yes”.
Michi typically went to his office around 10 a.m. every day. That day, too, he intended to stop by the convenience store near the station before heading to the office. But just before entering the store, he encountered Ellena, a meeting that felt like fate.
Ellena, standing at Michi’s eye level, stared directly into his eyes. Her short hair was slightly disheveled at the ends. Just this much information was enough for Michi to fall for her completely. He felt an undeniable, fate-like connection that defied description.
“Excuse me, but have you ever done any modeling?” Ellena continued. The question hit Michi like a bolt of lightning, causing his whole body to tense up. All he could manage in response was, “Huh?” Ellena noticed his nervous expression. She swiftly swung her backpack around to her front, unzipped it, pulled out a business card holder, and handed him a card.
“I work for this company,” she said. Michi took the card, internally remarking how suspicious this all seemed. The card read “Elle Entertainment, President Ellena Block.” To his surprise, the address on the card was the same building as his office. Michi, unable to hide his surprise, muttered, “Oh, this is…”
Ellena moved closer and said, “My office is just around the corner. Shall we talk there?” Still stiff as a board, Michi was led away by Ellena.
Ellena seated Michi in the office chair and said, “I’m sorry for doing this, but please believe me. I won’t do anything bad to you.” Her sorrowful and earnest expression tugged at Michi’s impulsive desire to help others.
“The truth is, the girl who was supposed to be in the shoot is sick, and we’re in a bind.” As Elena began to explain, Michi’s mind stayed surprisingly calm. “She doesn’t even know my name yet… Is she desperate or lying?” he thought.
Ellena continued, her desperation evident. “I know it’s rude, given that we just met, but you look a lot like the person who got sick, so I impulsively brought you here. I’m really sorry.”
Sitting opposite Michi, Ellena bowed her head and looked up at him pleadingly. “The shoot is at 2 PM today. Could you please go and take her place?”
“How weak… How weak I am… She’s adorable. If I can help a cute girl, well, why not. I can reschedule today’s work for tomorrow,” Michi thought to himself, surrendering internally as he looked at Ellena’s upturned eyes. Though his mind was flooded with ulterior motives and had come to a halt, his professional consciousness remained intact.
“I understand that you’re in a difficult situation, Ms. Ellena. I can see that you’re trying to manage the situation somehow,” Michi said, looking straight into Ellena’s eyes with sincerity. “My name is Michi Suzuki. I work as a consultant in this same building. Given my profession, I feel compelled to offer you some guidance on how to resolve your current problem. If you don’t mind, may I?”
Ellena, puzzled, responded, “The problem will be solved if you can fill in for today’s shoot, Suzuki…” She reconsidered, thinking that if she didn’t listen to him, he might not agree to help with the shoot.
“Well… I’ll listen for now…” she replied.
“Understood. Let’s begin,” said Michi, and he started his story.
“First, let’s go back to before Ellena approached me. At that time, Ellena was quite anxious because the person who was supposed to be at today’s shoot had called in sick. She understood that she needed to secure a replacement somehow. When she saw me in front of the station, noticing that I looked somewhat similar in age and appearance to the person who canceled, she decided to approach me rather forcefully.” Michi spoke slowly and calmly to avoid causing Ellena any emotional distress.
“Yes, that’s exactly what happened,” Ellena affirmed wholeheartedly.
“The method I recommend to my clients for solving their worries consists of three steps: 1, 2, and 3. Step 1 is about acknowledging the event that triggered the emotional upheaval. When we feel worried or irritated, there is always a preceding event that caused these emotions. For example, you might feel worried because you received a phone call pressuring you about a delivery, or you might remember an argument with your husband that morning while planning dinner, which makes you feel irritable.
When your emotions start to fluctuate, don’t try to suppress or resist them. Just let yourself feel those emotions. Does that make sense?” Although Michi was looking directly at Ellena as he spoke, she wasn’t paying much attention.
Michi continued, “Step 2 is about what to do after your emotions have fluctuated. When you allow yourself to feel the emotion, it gradually becomes smaller. After the emotional waves have subsided, think about how to make yourself feel better and lift your spirits.
For example, once your worry has diminished, imagine that you perfectly managed the delivery and received sincere gratitude from the person who pressured you. Or, once your irritation has faded, imagine your husband apologizing and being kind to you.
I’m not saying you should do nothing while your emotions are fluctuating, but rather that you shouldn’t fight against those emotional waves. Don’t misunderstand me; it’s not like you have to stop driving your car if you get emotional. Just don’t resist the emotions. Once the emotions have subsided, think positively and lift your mood. Do you have any questions so far?” Michi paused and took a breath.
Ellena, reflecting on her actions, began to realize that this was somewhat different from typical consulting, counseling, or coaching.
“No, I’m fine. Please continue,” she responded.
Michi maintained eye contact with Ellena as he resumed speaking. “Step 3 is about what to do after thinking positively. When you feel good, find out what you want to do next and then act on it.
For example, after considering what you want to do, you might decide that instead of rushing to meet the delivery deadline, you want to take your time and ensure everything is done correctly. Or, you might want to avoid being curt with your husband so that he feels comfortable apologizing.
The key point is to act based on what you like, enjoy, and want to do, rather than acting out of worry or irritation. I’ve covered a lot, but if you have no questions, I’ll continue a bit more,” Michi offered, passing the ball back to Ellena.
“I understand what you’re saying. There’s just one thing I’d like to mention,” Ellena said expressionlessly.
“What is it?” Michi asked.
“I think it would be easier to understand if you spoke more casually, without using formal language,” Ellena suggested. Michi internally chuckled at her unexpected comment.
“Alright, I’ll stop using formal language and move on,” he said, making sure Ellena nodded in agreement before continuing. “Finally, let’s compare Ellena’s response this time with these three steps.”
Michi leaned forward and began to speak.
“I believe Ellena is fully aware of her fluctuating emotions and the events that caused them to waver.”
Ellena responded immediately.
“Yes, like you said, the fact that the model who was supposed to shoot today called in sick really shook me. When I heard about it, I panicked. My mind was racing with worries like, ‘What if we leave a gap in the schedule and lose credibility?’ or ‘What if this affects our future sales?’ The emotion I felt was definitely anxiety.”
“Excellent. You’ve perfectly understood what I was saying earlier. Exactly right.” Michi was genuinely pleased with Ellena’s comprehension.
“Now, let’s move on to step two. If you continue to experience these fluctuating emotions until they diminish, you’ll find yourself feeling better.” Michi paused, waiting for Ellena, who seemed to be lost in thought, to respond.
“At that moment, all I could think about was how to avoid a gap in the shooting schedule. I was constantly worrying about finding a replacement. Looking back, I realize I was anxious the entire time. The anxiety never subsided, even after I brought you to the office,” Ellena confessed candidly.
“Many people try to change the events that caused their emotional fluctuations by taking some action or saying something. They attempt to alter the people or things related to those events. Until these people or things change, the fluctuating emotions continue to simmer,” Michi explained, sensing Ellena’s growing empathy.
“Yeah, I still feel a bit anxious somewhere inside,” Ellena admitted.
Speaking slowly and calmly, but with clear determination, Michi proposed, “I’m not saying you’ll face misfortune or terrible consequences if you don’t follow my advice. Through long research on resolving troubles and worries, I’ve found that steps one, two, and three generally lead to good outcomes. If you’re willing, shall we try it now?”
Ellena, determined, replied, “Right now, I need to find a replacement for the shoot. If your method can help with that, I’m willing to try it.”
Michi began to speak.
“Ellena, let’s start from step two. You’ve been feeling fluctuating emotions, and as those emotions become smaller, you should spend your time feeling better. Right now, your anxiety about the photography assignment has lessened, so let’s focus on feeling good.
First, ignore the emotional fluctuations you’re feeling. In Ellena’s case, this means not thinking about or acting on the photography assignment.
After you ignore it, just do something you enjoy. You can think about something fun, enjoy your work, make phone calls or send emails, or do nothing at all. Choose to keep your mind in a state of peace where your emotions are not fluctuating.
When people think of fun, they often think of excitement, thrills, and smiling. But here, when we talk about fun, we mean things you like, things you find enjoyable, or things you want to try. It’s about doing things that don’t cause overwhelming emotions that make your heart race, bring a smile to your face, or make your body move from excitement.”
Ellena thought, “Is that it?” After a brief silence, she asked,
“It doesn’t really feel like a method for solving problems or dealing with troubles…” Elena couldn’t help but feel a bit skeptical.
But Michi responded,
“Exactly. Solving problems and handling troubles aren’t usually enjoyable. There are more enjoyable things to focus on, so it’s better not to do things that aren’t fun. It’s not about achieving a goal or objective; it’s about continuing to do what you find enjoyable right now.”
“Got it,” Ellena said. She glanced at the clock; it was 11:03. Thoughts of the photography assignment surfaced, along with a feeling of resignation. She then said to Michi,
“Something calming and enjoyable, right? Well, I missed breakfast because I had to take a sick call, and now I’m hungry. I think I’ll have an early lunch.”
Michi replied,
“Perfect. That’s the idea. I’ll head back to my office. If you want to talk after you’ve had your meal, just come by.” He left his business card and walked out of Elena’s office.
“Hi, it’s Ellena. I have something to talk about,” Ellena said as she visited Michi’s office around 12:30 PM. As soon as Michi opened the door, Ellena, already excited, greeted him with a big smile.
“Listen, I just finished brunch, and I was a bit scared and unsure about what to do…” Michi, seeing Ellena’s beaming smile, felt certain that something good had happened.
“I decided to go for a drive, something I love. It was only about 30 minutes, but it had been a while since I last went for a drive. It felt great, and I was able to forget about work for a bit. When I got back to the office, I got a call from the production company for today’s shoot. They said the shoot was postponed. They were very apologetic, but I was struggling to hold back my laughter. After the call, I thought this might be what you were talking about, and I wanted to thank you. So, thank you,” Ellena said, flashing Michi a radiant smile.
“That’s right,” Michi replied, smiling back. “It feels like your environment aligns with your current state. If you choose to maintain inner peace, good things will continue to come your way. It’s simple, but it’s a result of studying people who are doing well.”
“And that’s why,” Ellena continued with a laugh, “I hope you can keep giving me advice. I’m counting on you.”
“Of course,” Michi replied wholeheartedly. “I’m looking forward to it.”
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