Ellena came to Michi’s office seeking advice. It had been a week since they first met.
“Tell me what’s on your mind, Ellena,” Michi prompted.
Ellena, a bit shy, began to speak. “Honestly, I have a lot of insecurities… I want to be more beautiful,” she started slowly. “I never neglect my skincare or haircare routines, and I think I do them pretty well. But changing my body shape is so hard. I’ve tried personal training at the gym and yoga classes, but I can’t stick with them for long. Still, I really want to be beautiful.”
Michi could sense the seriousness in Ellena’s expression. “I see,” he nodded.
“Do you remember the 1-2-3 steps we talked about before? We’re going to delve deeper into that now,” he said, getting Ellena’s agreement.
“Basically, it’s about not being swayed by your emotions and doing things that you can enjoy with a calm mind. This means refraining from acting on every impulse. Wanting to be beautiful, craving certain foods, desiring clothes or cars – it’s not about acting on those desires. While feeling those emotions, they’ll gradually diminish, and you’ll start to see what you don’t need to act on and what you absolutely do.”
“For instance, going to the bathroom or eating has its limits – those are actions you can’t avoid. But in reality, there are few things you have to act on,” Michi explained.
As he finished, Ellena immediately responded. “So, my desire to change my body shape is something I don’t necessarily need to act on,” she said, smiling in understanding.
Michi was delighted to see Ellena’s understanding and couldn’t stop explaining.
“So, remember, Ellena, what do you do when the emotional fluctuations lessen? Do you recall the second point?”
Ellena thought for a moment before answering.
“I should think in a way that suits me, right?”
Michi couldn’t contain his happiness.
“Which means… your desire to change your body without doing anything…”
He prompted Ellena to realize.
“Does that mean my body will change without doing anything!? Wait! That’s amazing!”
Ellena exclaimed with joy.
Michi quickly interjected.
“You just thought in a way that suits you. Instead of expecting results from that, think about what you want to do now if you could change your body without doing anything.”
Ellena was slightly disheartened but then pulled herself together.
“You’re right. I wasn’t at peace. If I don’t need to do anything, what do I want to do now…?”
After pondering for a while, Ellena spoke clearly with conviction.
“I just wanted to do something fun.”
Michi beamed with a wide smile.
“See? In the end, you just want to have fun, right?”
Michi and Ellena returned to Michi’s office after having a meal.
“Ah, that was really delicious,” Michi sighed.
“Since I was trying to watch my figure, it felt even more delicious once I let go,” Ellena said, looking at Michi intently.
“I think it’s thanks to you, Michi. Thank you so much.”
Michi blushed, but feeling it was important, he sincerely conveyed his thoughts to Ellena.
“In the past, we were always taught to respond to whatever happened. Everyone does that, and I didn’t know there was any other way. There might be people who say you should do what you love, what’s fun, or what you want to do, but not many say that no matter what happens, you should just go with it.”
Ellena responded seriously.
“Well, but this time, it might just be a lucky coincidence… I’m not completely convinced yet,” Michi said firmly.
“Ellena, just believe in yourself. Feel your heart, your emotions, your impulses―feel everything and go forward with confidence. If you have any questions or anything you want to say, feel free to ask me anytime.”
Ellena smiled and nodded.
Michi was eager to ask Ellena out on a date. He was thinking of making an excuse to contact her. After much deliberation, he finally sent a message.
“How are you? I have a bit of free time; would you like to grab some coffee?”
Ellena replied relatively quickly.
“Hello. If you’re free, why not come to my office? I’ll have coffee and snacks ready for you.”
Michi practically skipped on his way to Ellena’s office.
However, the situation was serious. As soon as Michi entered Ellena’s office, she began to speak.
“It was really good timing. Listen, Michi. My grandfather was taken to the hospital by ambulance. According to my mother, he’s in so much pain in his hip that he can’t walk. I was really worried, but just as I started to calm down, I got your message. What should I do in a situation like this?”
Michi realized that this was going to be part of his work both personally and professionally and that consulting really was his calling. Switching to work mode, he immediately answered Ellena.
“No matter what happens, you do the same thing. This time, it’s not something happening to you personally, but it’s still something you’re experiencing. Once your shaken emotions calm down, find something enjoyable, and do what you want to do in the moment. Whether it’s work, illness, symptoms, relationships, whether it’s you, your family, or someone else, it’s the same.”
Ellena said,
“Got it. Well then, since I’ve got some delicious snacks, let’s eat them with coffee,” and began preparing.
As they were enjoying their coffee and snacks, Ellena’s phone rang. It was a call.
“Hello? Mom, what’s wrong?” Ellena answered.
“Uh-huh… uh-huh… and then…” Ellena listened with a worried expression.
“Okay. Take care, Mom. Bye-bye,” Ellena said, hanging up the phone. Michi thought it might be time to leave and started to get up. Suddenly, Ellena grabbed his hand and said,
“Could you come with me to my grandfather’s hospital? My mother is waiting there too. Please?”
Caught off guard, Michi stammered,
“Huh… what… why…” but Ellena, not paying him any mind, said,
“We need to leave by car right away. I’ll explain everything on the way. So, let’s go.”
Michi, feeling a sense of déjà vu, was reluctantly pulled along by Ellena.
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