Kimberly was standing at her bedroom window when her mom parked in front of their apartment building. It took her mother almost three minutes to get out of the car because of her weight. Brittney, Kimberly’s mother, has tried many weight loss programs and all kinds of diets to get rid of her three hundred pounds in vain. None of those programs worked. Brittney slowly opened the car door and got out. Kimberley hurried to help her mother up the stairs to get to their apartment on the second floor.
“Bring me water,” Brittney said as soon as she sat on the couch. She was breathing heavily like someone who had just run a marathon.
“Mom, I found someone who can help you lose weight,” Kimberly said as she handed her the water bottle. The mother didn’t react to her comment and asked, “where are your little brothers?”
“John is sleeping, and Marcus is with his friends at the park,” Kimberley replied and quickly added, “did you hear what I said about losing weight?”
“Kimberley, you know how much money I spent on those weight loss programs. None of them worked for me. So please, I don’t want to do it anymore. All I want is to sleep.”
“I understand your frustration, mom. But I’m not talking about losing weight programs. I heard about something different.”
“What do you mean something different?” the mother asked, eager to know more.
“Do you remember my friend Cathy?”
The mother nodded. “Well,” Kimberly continued, “I saw her today at a convenience store at the gas station. She was with her mom. You won’t believe it. Her mother has changed. She lost weight and looked beautiful and healthy.”
“Really !!! I remember seeing her at a parent-teacher conference when you were in twelfth grade . She was even bigger than me,” the mother recalled.
“Today, she is a different person. So I asked her how she did?”
“I bet she recommended another new program,” the mother guessed.
“Nope! She said she had met someone who had changed her paradigm. She didn’t tell me all the details, but she gave me the man’s contact number. I have scheduled an appointment for you tomorrow at 2 pm.”
“Is it worth it?” the mother asked?
“Try, mom. By the way, it’s free,” Kimberly announced.
“Free ?” the mother repeated.
“Why would Cathy’s mom lie to me. It’s free. You have nothing to lose. Think about your health. Think about us. We still need you,” Kimberley said.
The next day, Brittney was at the man’s office.
“Good afternoon Brittney and welcome ,” the man greeted as Brittney entered his office. “I’m Carter,” he added as he invited her to sit in a black leather chair across his desk.
“Nice to meet you,” Brittney said.
Carter was tall, over six feet, thick with brown hair, and well dressed in a navy suit.
“Your daughter told me about your problem,” Carter said.
“I have been trying to lose weight for years. None of the diet programs worked.”
“Sorry to hear that. I will tell you things you have probably never heard before. If you are willing to listen to me, you will have different results. First of all, I want you to do an exercise.” He opened a drawer, took a paper and a pen, and wrote this question: who are you?
“Who am I?” Brittney repeated.
“Yes, write down who you think you are,” Carter instructed.
Brittney wrote about her career and described herself as a single woman, mother of three children. She mentioned that she lost her father at twelve years old. Therefore she was raised by her grandmother.
After reading Brittney’s response, Carter replied, “You didn’t answer my question.” He stared at her and questioned, “Brittney, who are you?”
“I wrote it down. I’m a dental assistant, mother of…”
“Wait,” Carter cut her off. “I read your note on the paper. You don’t know who you are. Do you?”
Brittney didn’t utter a word. “You see, Brittney,” Carter explained, “You are like most people. When asked about who they are, they define themselves by what they do. You work as a dental assistant, but you are not a dental assistant. Do you understand the difference ?”
“So, who am I?” Brittney asked.
“Brittney, please listen to me very carefully. I will challenge your way of thinking. You are a spirit. Can you repeat it? Say, I am a spirit.”
“I am a spirit,” Brittney repeated.
“Good! To help you understand my point, let me explain it through an example. You drive your car every day. Question: are you the car or the person driving the car?”
“Of course, I’m not the car. I’m the one driving the car,” Brittney replied.
“Okay! It means you are the one who decides where the car should go. Right?”
Brittney nodded in agreement.
“Now, follow me,” Carter elaborated, “The car represents your body, and the driver represents your spirit. As the car can’t lead the driver, neither your body can lead you. Brittney, you are overweight because you let your body lead you. Remember, you are a spirit who lives in a body. You are not your body. Let me repeat it; YOU ARE NOT YOUR BOBY.”
“What does it have to do with weight loss?”
“If you understand that you are not your body, whenever your body is craving for food, you won’t say – I’m hungry-. You will say, my body is hungry. You won’t, therefore, be a slave of your body. Make your body be your slave. Remember, you are a spirit.”
“You mean I got to see my body as a different entity?” Brittney asked.
“Yes. Keep in mind the image of the car and the driver. The car never leads the driver. Don’t let your body lead you. It won’t be easy. Your body will cry out for food. Please ignore it. Feed your body at a specific time of the day. If you can control your body for 21 days, you will win the battle. Yes, 21 days. It’s all it takes to break a bad habit,” Carter said.
Six months after her encounter with Carter, Brittney, sent him two of her pictures. The first picture was taken the day she met him, and the second picture after she applied Carter’s instructions.
Brittney wrote, “I was able to lose weight because I no longer let my body control me. I’m the driver who leads the car.”