|
 |
Along Life’ Way
A Weighty Subject: A Fable
By Lois E. Wilson
Over the holidays, Fred had indulged heavily in food and drink. He was
forced to discard his favorite jeans; they no longer fit him. He
avoided looking into the full-length bedroom mirror for fear of what he
would see.
After his four-year-old son asked him if he was going to have a baby,
he decided to do something about his increasing waistline. He made a
New Year’s resolution to work on trimming down.
He had his wife put him on a strict diet, but at work he would become
hungry and fill his stomach with fast foods. He kept it secret from his
wife; she couldn’t understand why the diet wasn’t producing any results.
Then he tried getting up every morning to take a walk before going to
work. The seventh day he decided the early walk made no sense. He told
his wife, “No more U-turns for me; if I always end up where I started
then why should I leave?”
Next he opted for the gym. The trainer put him in a class with others
trying to lose weight. That didn’t work out—because he didn’t work out.
Each class he would become exhausted and stop abruptly. He asked for
his deposit back but to no avail.
He pondered other solutions to his weight problem and took up golf. He
convinced himself that walking the course would take off pounds. He
lasted three attempts before renting a golf cart.
He decided to spend more time playing with his son. He could teach him
the basics of basketball and tennis. He bought a portable hoop and a
basketball. His son joined a T-ball team and did not have the time or
interest to do other sports. Fred tried to make use of the basketball
equipment. Every few days he would practice shooting at the net. He did
not find enjoyment in this and soon packed it away.
He was disappointed at his failure and became depressed until one day
he read an advertisement for a book “Love Yourself.” He purchased it
and began to study it. He liked its message of
“Love yourself the way you are.” He immediately adopted the theme and
began to feel better. If someone asked him, “Are you in good shape?” He
replied, “Yes, I am—my shape just happens to be round!” Fred began to
lose weight and bought a pair of comfortable jeans.
Moral: Often the solutions to our problems lie within us. A new
attitude can create a new person—a person who projects self-confidence
and produces positive results.
|
|
|
|
