Smoking

This weekend I was over at one of the Doe's and noticed she drop a cigarette on the ground. For a split second I thought about picking it up and lighting it. Miraculously, the moment immediately shifted into my non-smoker mode. One hot and humid afternoon three years ago I decided to have my last cigarette. I was tired of smoking. There were several reasons I wanted to quit: the smell, the time consuming habit, my health, my kids but the main reason I just didn't enjoy it and knew it was a stupid habit. Like many other people I used an array of techniques from the patch to laser but I lapsed each time. So after dishing out my hard earned money on laser treatment that worked for about three months, I grudgingly made a deal with myself to smoke and at the same time be conscious of my actions. I felt the physiological and sensual effects of smoking. I internalized these feelings and one day with not much fanfare quit. I can vividly recall mentioning to my colleagues during a break "This is my last cigarette!!"
I haven't looked back until yesterday if only for a brief moment. I trained my brain to not have cravings, not have mood swings and to develop a circuitry loop in my head that skips over smoking. It worked!!! I often asked my late Dad how he quit smoking, being a heavy smoker for about fifty years. He retold me the story as many times as I asked, he had a bout of pneumonia and was bed-ridden for weeks. According to him, "God-damn sickest I ever been #$@#!&&&" and thanks to him I incorporated his approach into my quest to be a non-smoker. So I think to quit is all in your head or more precisely in your thoughts. If you overlook the self-defeating ones, focus on being healthy and learn to train your brain to leave behind all other thoughts related to the yukky habit: smoking is but a memory. Oh, and I didn't have any cravings or mood swings. I found many pharmaceutical and other medicinal cessation techniques for me were a crutch and masked the true culprit me. To overcome the urge, I needed to do it in my head. It may not work for everybody but did for me and my late dad. So hears to Hot Husband on his quest to join the ranks of healthy non-smokers. xoxoxo