I quit smoking…….and you can too!

Make no mistake about it. For most people, quitting smoking is not an easy thing to do. And some people shouldn’t quit smoking. Under certain circumstances, there are legitimate reasons to smoke - i.e. - already on your deathbed, too late to quit so may as well enjoy it, etc.

But nowadays, there are certainly more reasons not to smoke besides the obvious health benefits. Cigarettes are much more expensive than ever, and getting even higher. Most U.S. states, counties, and even cities now have some form of anti-smoking law(s). These restrictions range from not allowing smoking in enclosed public places to not allowing smoking anywhere except in the privacy of your own home. And besides, nobody thinks its cool anymore.

So unless you have some very compelling reasons to smoke, then you probably should quit.

I smoked for 25 years. At my peak in the 1980s, I was smoking about 2-1/2 packs a day. Camel unfiltered. Very strong. I was convinced that I’d never be able to quit. By the mid 1990s I was still smoking lots and lots. I tried everything - Nicotine Gum, Nicotine Patches, so-called “xx-step quit smoking program”. Nothing worked. For me, smoking was as much a lifestyle as a habit, and I couldn’t imagine life without it. But, in January of 2002, I finally quit. For good. How you ask? Well, here goes. But don’t tell too many people. If this gets out and catches on, bad things might happen to Big Brother: Sharp decreases in cigarette tax revenue, healthier people who don’t need to rely so much on the system, and other such nastiness. I’m about to reveal to you my super-secret, guaranteed, ultra expensive, revolutionary, patented method for quitting smoking. Are you ready? Good.

Sit back, light up a cigarette, relax, and read this.

I guarantee that if you do this, you will quit smoking.

Okay then. Here goes. What I did to quit smoking was just that - I quit. Cold. Yep, I tossed my pack of smokes in the trash and never looked back. I had finally had enough! I was tired of having to go outside in the winter, tired of not being to stay indoors for very long at a time, etc., and tired of not being able to breathe properly. But most of all, I was tired of cheating the woman I love out of our precious time together. Taking years off my time with her. You see, she has never smoked. Highly allergic to it in fact. I never could smoke anywhere near her. Was it hard for me? I’m not going to lie - you bet it was hard. For two long months, it was hard to resist the cravings. And I was working with 2 other people who smoked. I was also combating the various secret chemicals with which modern cigarettes are laced in order to keep you hooked. And if all of that wasn’t bad enough, I also liked to smoke. I enjoyed smoking as much as most people enjoy a good back rub.

But I prevailed. I kicked its ass. And so can you.

The cravings began to get weaker and less frequent. I began not to think about smoking, and every time I thought I wanted to smoke, I reminded myself of all the reasons to quit. Sort of a self-hypnosis, I guess. The final straw for me was during a plane trip - I had to change flights in Memphis, Tennessee. As I came into the terminal building, I looked for somewhere to smoke. Smoking is only allowed there in designated areas, of which there were only 2 at the time. According to the building map, I was a good 1/3 to 1/2 mile from the nearest one, having come in at the end of the concourse. What did I do? I walked to the smoking area, smoked, and walked back. As in the classic ad, you might say that I literally walked a mile for a Camel, since Camel brand was what I smoked.

It does get easier, and eventually you don’t really want to smoke anymore, even when your family & friends do.

So you see, quitting is really the only true way to quit. Even if you use patches, gum, or whatever, you will still need to quit. You will need to make up your mind to quit the gum or the patches. So why not take control and just quit? I know you can do it.

Written by Darrell Hagan on February 27th, 2007 with 2 comments.
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