Mind Over Matter

I exercise regularly… ah… about once a week.

After a ravenous summer enjoying mangoes and a little sickness that interrupted my exercise routine, my new trousers became a bit uncomfortable around the waist.

Dear Wife, never the one to let an opportunity go by, remarked in full view and hearing of the kids, “Your tummy is spilling over your belt like Niagara over the horseshoe.”

Yes, she’s seen it from the Canadian side – the Niagara, I mean.

So I asked my friend, Google, ‘How do I reduce my tummy quickly?’

Among the many answers from a million experts, one that seemed most effective as well as effortless was ‘Belief.’

It said that if you believe you are losing fat, you will; if you believe your tummy is vanishing, it will.

So, instead of doing cosmetic changes to my diet, I concentrated on my belief system, cheering for the victory of mind over matter and looking for the results in terms of tummy versus the trousers. That the mango season had ended, was an added bonus.

I started this on Friday and I wore the same new trousers on Monday morning. Much to my delight and surprise, my trousers were indeed not as tight and uncomfortable around the waist as the last week!

Hadn’t I achieved a miracle, in almost no time, by using the power of my mind? Couldn’t I continue doing so? Couldn’t I also teach others to do it?

In a flash, I dreamed of turning into my slimmer self of long ago. I dreamed of writing a self-help book and of being a motivational speaker and a miracle maker and a spiritual master! I could see myself being invited by actors and politicians and celebrities to advise them on all matters, from heart to art and money to honey.

So I proudly and cheerfully displayed my flattened tummy to the entire family at breakfast and announced my lofty ambitions.

Wife, once again, remarked in full view and hearing of the kids, “Your tummy is exactly what it was. I got the trousers loosened by an inch over the weekend.”

So that was the victory of the tailor’s machine over my midriff!

Sigh!

I’m not available for advice – not yet.

©Avinash Chikte

Image by diana.grytsku on Freepik