Going White...um no-White

So I started speaking to this lady, Darlene, at the gym this morning. As a frequent visitor in the mornings we had begun greeting by calling out our names. She mentioned that week that she would be out for a couple of months for a scheduled surgery and I had promised to pray for a successful outcome. Seems like today was her last day before the surgery on the 16th. She remarked that I have become leaner,that my face and arms look much slimmer - I beamed like a 100w light bulb. I told her that my weight has not decreased much, which meant that I am losing inches. She advised that I should stop doing weights and increase the cardio intensity until I attain my ideal weight. Or else I would not lose all the fat - I momentarily envisioned myself with all the fat replaced with muscles - hideous!
She ventured further that I should 'watch what I eat' avoid all kinda white foods. Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, cakes, milk, sugar...anything white should be abolished or reconsidered - I guess eggs, cauliflower, white beans, garbanzo beans do not count. I found this very restrictive and impractical; I wanted something that could be incorporated as a lifestyle and not a fad. She mentioned that once I get to my ideal weight I would get used to being on this diet. I told her I can't do without milk and sugar in my tea - we agreed to replace the milk with 1/2% reduced ( or skimmed) and organic sugar. And once I get to my ideal weight - I should give away my old clothes and buy a new set of jeans and outfits. That will keep me motivated to stay in shape.

Well I promised her to try this out for the next 30 days - so my journey to 130 pounds begins today. I guess she happened to play the role of the 'ticket collector' in my life today. Its surprising that she stepped into this role - this reinforces my belief that there is some kind of force in this universe that constantly shapes and guides us. About 4 months ago I had written down a set of goals and getting to my ideal weight of 130 pounds was one of them! Today I got more than a nudge from someone totally unexpected - whoa!

I should write a post about that book and goal setting....maybe later, for now am
watching out for the whites :)

Who was the ticket collector?

I often wonder about the various interactions in our life. How we are influenced by ideas, by remarks from people, comments by friends, opinions of our peers, the upbringing by our parents and the motions of sibling rivalry. I did not realise how much of an influence they have on the choices I make - thanks to my parents I strove to aim for the best and to be honest and truthful in my dealings. Thanks to my siblings I added the dimension of patience and responsibility to my personality. And thanks to my teachers, educators and priests and preachers who gave a glimpse of how much different life can be.

I was wondering the other day about those singular people who changed the course of my life through a stray, solitary interaction and then wondered who was that ticket collector who was on duty on that fateful day in history when Gandhi was in the train in South Africa. I feel we owe our independence to Mahatma Gandhi but do we even know that person who set ablaze the passion in Gandhi to fight for something noble and to rise above mediocrity? If not for that incident when he was thrown off the train on the platform and humiliated for being coloured I think Gandhi would have been going through the same motions of life. He might have continued to be work as a lawyer and died a different death probably in SA, never knowing and manifesting the immense power in his being - touching the lives of thousands and changing the fortunes and destiny of his countrymen, even now after his death.

So I guess every interaction in our life has a purpose, a lesson to teach or an opportunity for us to rise above our prejudice and probably change the whole course of our life. There seems to be an interplay of forces in Nature that attract us to events and persons who have the capacity to help us achieve our goals.

There have been numerous 'ticket collectors' in my life who have gotten me to this stage. My belief in God makes me see them as the working of the Spirit who lead me onto the right path to do His Will. I only hope to continue to remain open to the inspiration but I still wonder what was the name of that ticket collector who triggered the biggest freedom movement in history?