Section IV
MODULE THREE
As you know, when you stop
smoking, you will receive a multitude of rewards. Some of these rewards are financial.
Could you use some extra
money?
We all could use a little extra cash,
right? It’s becoming increasingly
common to be affected by the financial burdens attached to smoking and at
around $6 a pack average, in North America, that’s understandable. It adds up quick!
Won’t it be nice when monetary
costs of smoking are no longer ban issue? And with the money you save from not buying cigarettes constantly, you
can treat yourself to new books or music - or whatever you want.
A new non-smoking lifestyle will
allow you, if you choose, to put your cigarette money away - rather than spend
it. Each trip to the store for smokes
can now be a visit to your piggy bank every day.
Financial rewards are a great
motivator for many people. Think about it: At a pack a day, based on the North
American average of around $6 a pack, smoking costs you about $180 each month –
or almost $2200 a year!
Please keep in mind that if you
are not currently smoking or if you have a scheduled "stop day", all
this talk about financial rewards is great news!
Let’s take a look at some examples to help put things into perspective: you could use your extra $180 as a monthly car payment or bank it and in just one year, you’ll have enough for a Caribbean cruise. How about that? A cruise is nice. Have you ever been on one?
Or you could wait another year and take your favorite person with you. How about that?
Use your $180 a month for a
payment on a fine new home theatre set-up with surround sound and a giant LED
screen.
With $180, you could sponsor 6
kids with “Save the Children Fund”.
Or hang on to your money and in
just under 5 years, slap your 10 thousand dollars down on a house - or
perhaps some beach property. 10
thousand dollars is a nice down payment - and it’s all yours in less than 5
years! And we don’t have to tell
you how fast 5 years slips by.
When you stop smoking, it’s like
getting a raise. It’s like always
tripping over money in the street. Wouldn’t that put a big smile on your face? And who couldn’t use the extra $2200 every year? Can you think of what you want to do with
your extra money?
Don’t forget too, that you have
already paid tax on that $2200. That’s 2200 extra, tax-free, dollars - to do with as you choose – every single
year, beginning on your scheduled “stop day”.
Isn’t this wonderful? There are so many great benefits attached to
stopping smoking and the financial end is certainly a welcome one. We all like extra money – so get ready, it’s coming your way!
So, you will have extra money and
that’s great. But when you stop smoking, prepare yourself for a windfall of
other incredible, life-changing benefits, as well.
Many people find it helpful to
dwell on these positive aspects of stopping smoking. It fills you with motivation - and motivation gives you energy to
make the right decision when craving pangs strike.
Here’s a short reminder of what
you can expect when you finish this program:
When you stop smoking, you will live a cleaner, happier, healthier life. Ask anyone that’s done it. They’ll tell you what a difference it made for them.
Once you are no longer a slave to
cigarettes, you’ll have more control over your life. That’s a wonderful, “free” feeling.
Your self-esteem will return.
You’re going to smell a lot better
too, as your bad breath is eliminated, replaced by a fresh-tasting mouth. Your clothes, hair and skin will no longer
smell like a dirty, old ashtray. You’ll
even have a better smelling home and car.
Count on looking better, too. The tar in cigarettes stains your teeth and
fingers. Wrinkles around the eyes and
mouth develop much earlier for smokers than non-smokers.
Skin starved of oxygen by smoking
becomes dry, gray and lifeless looking. Once you stop smoking, you can look forward to fewer wrinkles and a
nicer, clearer complexion.
Your stained teeth will now have a
chance to whiten again and the yellow stains on your fingers will
disappear. You’ll feel better
physically as your energy level increases and your athletic ability returns.
Smoking makes it harder for you to
exercise and reduces the benefits of your exercise, as well. You can look forward to more energy to
pursue physical activities you enjoy and you’ll be climbing stairs and walking
without running out of breath. You’ll
enjoy more stamina. Non-smokers do
better in all physical and mental exertion situations - including sexual
stamina.
Smokers have more coughs and colds
than non-smokers and take longer to feel well again. You can expect fewer coughs and sore throats and trips to the
hospital. Any wounds will heal faster.
You’ll also miss less work due to illness and you’ll enjoy your job more.
Your patience level will rise and
you will be more calm as you are no longer face craving pangs every 30 minutes,
or so. Smoking addiction raises irritation levels.
Stopping smoking is a challenge. Once you have stopped, you will know you can
succeed at difficult tasks and challenges. Stopping smoking helps you believe
in yourself and is a wonderful self-confidence builder.
Your heartbeat and blood pressure
are going to be restored almost immediately. People around you will no longer be at risk from second-hand smoke. They
will also stay off your back about quitting, when you don’t smoke.
With no second hand smoke, you
will reduce the number of coughs, colds, and earaches your children will have
as you set a good example for your family.
Your children will be less likely
to smoke, if you don’t and will have fewer problems with asthma and respiratory
infections when you no longer smoke around them.
You will reduce your chances of
having a heart attack or stroke and reduce your chances of contracting lung
cancer, emphysema, and other lung diseases.
You’ll no longer need to listen to
your doctor lecture you on the health consequences of smoking.
Isn’t that a fabulous list of
benefits you’ll enjoy? Wow! If you're counting down toward a scheduled
"stop day", you may have just a few more days before they’re all
yours!
Isn’t this sounding like a better
and better idea as we go along? There’s
certainly plenty more to tell.
For this exercise you’ll be
dissecting an un-lit cigarette. If
you’re currently not smoking, or don’t otherwise have access to a cigarette,
please just read along.
O.K. so for now, let’s just handle
it and examine it.
As you can plainly see, it’s just
an inanimate object with no power. There is nothing to revere or respect; there
is nothing magical or powerful about it. It’s no big deal, really, is it? Do you see?
To a typical non-smoker, it’s just
a paper tube, packed full of brown stuff – nothing much to look at. An un-smoked cigarette has a simple,
indifferent look – neither pleasing nor displeasing. It’s kind of neutral. But
to a practicing smoker, it’s a whole different ball game.
Smokers condition themselves to
believe the appearance of cigarettes is “extra special”. Everything associated with smoking begins to
take on an abnormal, irrational, supremacy, for smokers. We become attached to everything connected
to smoking, including the appearance and feel of cigarettes – even to the pack
that holds them.
We treat these associations with a
reverence that far outweighs their worthiness. Brand loyalty is a perfect example. Smoking has a strong brand loyalty. (Far stronger with younger smokers where advertising is aimed). The
packaging is carefully designed for repetitive viewing and acts as a strong
appearance trigger.
The attachment is so powerful,
that even when we are aware of the misery and death it causes, we maintain an
allegiance with “our” cigarettes’ brand. In fact, the cigarette manufacturer isn’t really your friend at
all. It’s the other way around: They
are hurting you and it’s all done through illusion.
There really is nothing there. To prove it, let’s break up a cigarette and see what it is they
are really selling you. Just break it
in half and then tear it up into a pile.
Now, with your finger or pen, move
the paper and tobacco around on the table in front of you and get used to the
fact that there is nothing special here. In fact, everything looks pretty innocent. There is certainly nothing powerful about it, is there?
We give cigarettes far more power
and treat them with far more reverence or respect than they deserve, wouldn’t
you agree? That pile of ripped-up
paper and tobacco on the table in front of you has no power over you. And there is certainly is no magic.
So, as you can see and feel and
smell, there is nothing “extra special” about cigarettes and there is no real reason to feel otherwise. Your perception has been influenced through association
and shaped through a fabulous selling job by the tobacco companies. But before we get going on those guys, let’s
explore cigarettes a little deeper.
In addition to the tobacco we can see, cigarettes contain ‘fillers’
which are made from the stems and other bits of ground tobacco waste products.
This is mixed with water and various flavorings and additives. The ratio of
filler varies among brands but the higher the filler content the lower the tar
delivery.
The additives are used to make the
cigarettes taste better and thus, more acceptable to the consumer. They include
humectants or moisturizers, to prolong shelf life; various sugars to make the
smoke seem milder and easier to inhale; and flavorings such as chocolate and
vanilla. While some of these may appear
to be quite harmless in their natural form they may be toxic in combination
with other substances or when burned.
Ammonia, one of the over 500
approved additives used in cigarettes, is added solely for the purpose of
enhancing the effects of nicotine. Ammonia is an ingredient used in cleansers and is highly caustic to the
eyes, nose, skin and lungs. When added
to cigarettes, ammonia can boost the impact of nicotine by up to 100
times! Nicotine is a deadly poison in
high enough doses and although it doesn't appear to be a carcinogen, there is
controversy surrounding its use in any way. Long-term use of nicotine is dangerous.
Along with nicotine, cigarette
smoke is primarily composed of a dozen gases and tar. Here’s a situation where,
what you can’t see will hurt you.
The tar is the sticky, dark brown substance that stains your fingers and teeth yellow-brown. It’s made up of over 4000 chemicals resulting from burning tobacco, additives and cigarette paper.
There are over 50 named carcinogens present in tar and it exposes all users to a higher expectancy rate of lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchial disorders.
The lungs of an average pack a day smoker collect an annual deposit of one-quarter to one and one-half pounds of the gooey tar material. It’s called tar for a reason. It’s sticky and it traps carcinogenic material to the surface of the lungs, suspending it there. This tar / carcinogen combination is particularly nasty in its effectiveness.
Carbon monoxide, the main
poisonous gas present in car exhaust, is also present in all cigarette
smoke. It binds to our red blood cells
much more readily than oxygen, thus restricting the oxygen carrying capacity of
the blood by as much as 15%. The carbon
monoxide in the smoke greatly increases the chance of cardiovascular diseases.
The company that sells you your
brand has no right to any remaining reverence you may hold for them. They are not your friends. Friends don’t sell friends agonizingly
painful, slow, early death. Friends
don’t get friends hooked on an addictive drug and sell it to them for life.
Determining exactly what we are
dealing with naturally plays a significant role in its treatment. Is smoking really an addiction? We have all come to depend on cigarettes –
and that's addiction – a dependence on something. In this case it’s the drug
nicotine.
There are a number of different
addictions that many of us face every day. Being addicted to cigarettes is nothing to be ashamed of. We have many addictions and they all affect
us in different ways.
Addiction is just any elective
behavior repeated over and over, despite considerable negative consequences.
Some people refuse to consider
being “addicted” because that would make them a drug addict – (not considering
the social acceptance that smoking still has or other popular addictions of the
day – alcohol, caffeine, chocolate and sugar).
There are those who believe being
labeled “an addict” puts them too close to an area usually reserved for
derelicts and down-and-outers - and not a label they’re winning to carry
around. And yet, in fact, addictions
are a part of life. They are all around
us and should have no shame attached to them.
Some smokers will readily admit to
being addicted - using the "addiction" as justification to continue
smoking. Being addicted “and there's
nothing they can do about it” is the reasoning for them to continue. Again, they smoke because they believe they
don’t have a choice.
There are plenty of smokers who
deny they are addicted even though they have smoked daily for years. They're the ones who say, "I'm not
addicted - I smoke because I enjoy smoking," as if the two were mutually
exclusive of one another. We can enjoy
something and still be addicted to it.
Then there are smokers who will
adopt a strong moral stance. They'll use something like, "I have a right
to smoke and I'm just exercising my right when I smoke." Of course the right to smoke would be there
whether they smoke or don't smoke. We
will likely always have the choice.
"A cigarette is the perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and leaves
one unsatisfied. What more can one want?" - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of
Dorian Gray
Studies suggest it takes 40
cigarettes for the average person to become addicted for life. And "addicted for life" means to
crave for life. It's final after 40
cigarettes.
Defining the smoking habit as an
“addiction” enables programs like this one to chart a proven course of action
supported by volumes of data from countless scientific studies and
research.
Regardless of what you may feel
are your reasons for smoking, addiction is just a word and excuses are just
excuses. Let’s not let one little word
stand in our way. Good deal?
"The cigarette should not be construed as a product but a package.
The product is nicotine . . . Think of a puff of smoke as the vehicle of nicotine." - Philip Morris memo
Here’s what it all boils down to:
There are basically only two main reasons we smoke and continue to smoke:
#1. We smoke to reward ourselves
with the 1½ to 2 second “buzz” or “hit” we get from the nicotine as it hits our
brain. All smokers do. It’s a 2 second, soothing buzz that we love,
and get to enjoy about 16 - 20 times a day, for the average pack-a-day
smoker.
We get it when we get up in the
morning, at coffee break, after a meal. It has become “satisfaction” to us. It’s a form of getting our “personal strokes”.
#2. We smoke to avoid the anguish of withdrawal, which begins about
30 minutes after butting out. We smoke
to make the craving go away. All smokers
do.
Sometimes the very mention of
another attempt to “quit” can produce anger, frustration and even retaliation
from most smokers – anything it takes to avoid the experiences we fear the
most. We’re wired that way. Smoking is our own, long-cultivated,
personalized reward system – and don’t you dare mess with it!
Our conscious and subconscious are
usually working in harmony at this point, ensuring that our habits are not at
risk. We are programmed to not do
anything to jeopardize our own gratification system.
The brain is flooded with thoughts
sent by our subconscious to trigger action. These thoughts are often
nonsensical and illogical and intensely overdramatic.
Logic is most often left out of
the equation, as the subconscious attempts to eliminate conflicts in the
mind. It just wants the “bad” feeling
to go away, at any cost. Quickly!
And yet craving, in itself, doesn’t really “hurt”. It's not a “punch in the arm” kind of pain. It actually boils down to being just an empty, lonely feeling, more than anything.
Resistance increases the impact of
the craving. As soon as you stop
resisting and just accept the craving unquestionably, you’ll notice a reduction
in intensity, frequency and duration of cravings.
The 50 million plus ex-smokers in the U.S. and Canada will attest to this.
What you don’t feed dies. If you don’t give it energy, it will go away
on it’s own.
And let’s face it: We’ll always be
addicted to nicotine. The cravings will
likely be there for the rest of our lives - whether we are practicing at the
time, or not. We might as well get
used to that idea.
We use the “brain buzz” or “kick”
that we get from the first drag, for everything: We reward ourselves after a good workout; we reward ourselves
when we get good news; we stroke ourselves with a smoke when we’re lonely or bored;
most of us have one lit within 15 minutes of waking up in the morning.
The buzz: A couple of seconds of
euphoria – and that's it! The most important
thing after stopping the craving is the “buzz” and it only comes with a sudden,
rapidly absorbed dose of nicotine. It’s
a brief, excited, dizzy sensation and it speeds up the heart for a few seconds.
Without the buzz, the addiction
would be pretty unrewarding. Imagine:
crave – stop craving; crave – stop craving. But throw the buzz into the equation and even with it only lasting the
first few seconds of every cigarette, you now have a first class addiction.
Craving is uncomfortable and
primarily responsible for maintaining a continuous need for nicotine in our
systems. We reason: “Why not just light
a smoke and get rid of it?" "Ahh, that was nice." "That was helpful. Now I
feel better." And "Gee it
feels better not to crave".
Beginning in the next Module,
we’ll present a breakdown of cravings and a step-by-step strategy to use every
time they strike.
So, to sum up: We smoke for the
“buzz” and to satisfy the craving. That’s it. Those are the 2 main
reasons for your continued smoking.
Everything else to do with smoking
is there because it has to be there. Everything else exists only through association.
So, if we really smoke for those 2
reasons, and we are only addicted to the drug nicotine, what about everything
else connected to smoking?
The good news is that we’re not addicted to all the habits and the smoke and the tar and the carbon monoxide and everything
else connected to smoking.
We are just addicted to the
nicotine.
All those other things just happen
to be there through association with administering the nicotine. This is an area to be very honest and eliminate
any confusion you may have here.
We become attached to inhaling and
exhaling; blowing smoke; the sound of tapping the ash off; the feel of holding
it, the way we open the pack the same way every time; going outside with
friends (a social occasion) tapping the tabletop with the cigarette before
lighting up; reaching for one every time we get into the car; the feel of it on
our lips, etc. This is all attachment – not addiction. Attachments are much easier to deal with than
addictions.
We’ve been conditioned to feel super-positive about all the habits that are necessitated through the addiction to the drug nicotine. As soon as you remove the drug, there is no longer any need for those support habits.
a need for all of those
attachments and habits.
We’ll show you how to make the
little changes and transitions easier, a little later in the program. There’ll be several small adjustments to
make, but don’t worry - it wont be as difficult as you may think.
So now we know what they’ve been
selling us - but how much does it really cost?
Smokers are admitted to hospitals
twice as often as non-smokers. In fact the quality of life for every single
smoker is lower than that of the average non-smoker. As far as addictions go, this one really sucks.
In the past, we associated smoking
with rewards and feeling good. Now we’re starting to turn that around and
recognize smoking for what it really is for us: a big, fat negative in our
lives that’s got to go.
It’s not even a good reward
system, because we use it for both - we use it when we do good and when we
fail. We use it after a great day and
after a horrible day. We use it to
celebrate accomplishments and to soothe anguish.
We've all been trained like Pavlov's
dog – do well / get buzz. Except we do
it to the extreme - we get rewarded with the buzz for doing poorly, too. Not a lot of motivation involved, is there?
We’ve just conditioned ourselves to believe it’s a reward system. It really isn't.
In the real world, we are rewarded
for a job well done. At work for
instance, when you do a good job you are often rewarded with a raise. With smoking it’s like you’re getting the
raise when you do a bad job, too.
So you see, as far as reward
systems go, it’s really a pretty mixed-up one. If anything, it actually works in reverse of a proper reward system.
It can be compared to a police
officer pulling you over for speeding and instead of giving you a ticket, he
hands you a $100 bill. You’re never
going to learn that way.
Cigarettes become more of an
“anti-reward system” than anything. It’s not helpful to smoke – it’s harmful. All you’re really getting is a little brain buzz.
How we think about any situation
affects how we feel - and our feelings can also affect our behavior and what we
believe.
What we believe becomes our
reality.
It makes no difference to our
subconscious whether our beliefs are based on truth or manipulation and lies.
But remember, beliefs are not
always based on truth, yet they have the power to determine our attitude,
expectations and actions. They are all
directly connected.
By simply changing our beliefs, we
can automatically change our behavior - and our lives.
At times in every smoker’s life,
we believe it’s great to smoke. Changing this belief, if you haven’t done so yet, will immediately
impact and change your life.
“Truth is by nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it
shines clear.” -
Mahatma Gandhi
Another powerful “life-changer” is repetitive reinforcement. Repetitive reinforcement can work for you - and it can work against you. For instance, tell yourself over and over that you’re sad and chances are, you’ll eventually become sad.
Through repetition, we’ve accepted
our dependence on cigarettes. Repetition helped us to become smokers.
There’s also daily
reinforcement. It becomes very
personalized, using our title by default: “Are you a smoker?” “Smokers go outside.” “This seminar is for smokers”.
Even a joke such as, "Nobody's going to call me a quitter", will help make you believe it’s so. Remember, it doesn’t have to be true for your subconscious to use it.
Anyone who says that they are a
“smoker” enough times stands a good chance of convincing him or herself, sooner
or later. In fact, repetition is
responsible for much of the hold the habit has on us.
One thing is certain: You
repeatedly crave and you repeatedly smoke. You will likely always have cravings for nicotine. What you are about to discover is that you
aren’t forced to react to those cravings by smoking. You have a right to choose how you
react.
We all have a free will. We were born with it. It’s what separates us from the animals. We’ll show you how to exercise your right of
choice, through your reaction to craving.
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what
you have to do.” – Epictetus
Our subconscious is very
powerful. It can change a temporary
feeling of emptiness or loneliness into something terrible and feared - and
even downright unbearable.
When there is a desire, our subconscious demands instant gratification at all costs. Whether right or wrong, it only recognizes what feels good and constantly works on the elimination of negative. That’s just the way our subconscious operates.
It’s up to our conscious mind to
take control and deal with the desire - and that’s what we’re doing when we employ
methods such as repetition.
Repetition worked very well on you
at least once in the past and it will work even better this time – with you in control. ”Daily Affirmations” and the "Cravers' Code" are examples
of repetition working for you, instead of against you.
Another effective way to maintain
control is through your refusal to play the “blame game”. Blame is a popular diversion, often used to
avoid dealing with a situation head-on.
You can't be truly happy when you
don't have control - and you don't have control when someone or something else
is to blame for your discomfort.
When you refuse to focus on blame
and just accept responsibility for who you are and where you are in life,
you’ll not only increase your overall awareness, but you’ll also ease and
shorten the transition time from smoker to ex-smoker.
It’s not natural
for us to intentionally replace negative things in our lives with more negative
things.
Think about
it.
You don’t clean the dog poop off your shoe then head out in search of the closest pile of dog poop to step in because your shoe just isn’t the same without it.
Don’t look at stopping smoking as if you’re giving up something good. Smoking is pure evil. There are no healthy redeeming qualities to it whatsoever so, consequently, there is no need to replace it. Most of what you may feel is missing was only there through association.
We normally only substitute or replace “good stuff” - like when your hamster dies you may go out and buy a new one. Or when you run out of toothpaste, you replace it with a new tube. But we don’t naturally replace negative things with other negative things.
And considering the fact that
smoking is all negative, assures us that smoking is one of those things that
never needs replacing. So sure, for the first while, it will feel different not
to smoke. It may feel like something’s
missing - but don’t worry, that won’t last for long. Remember, stay calm, positive and optimistic and don’t prolong
the strength of the craving with any negative replacements.
The physical hold that the addiction has on you, is a powerful one – but thankfully short-lived. In fact, the half-life of nicotine is just one hour.
That means that every hour, the nicotine in your system, is cut in half. Forty-eight hours after your last cigarette, all traces of nicotine are gone from your body.
And that’s the end of the physical withdrawal process.
Isn’t that great news? Your physical withdrawal is over within 48 hours!
That’s also significant news, especially if you are using NRTs (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) or considering using them.
Here’s an interesting fact: Nicotine, intravenously injected into a nonsmoker, to the level found in the average smoker, and then cut off, displays as it’s most severe withdrawal symptom, a slight flu-like feeling, for a few hours. There will be no pain felt and there will be no cravings or feelings of emptiness associated with the withdrawal - or felt at any time afterward. After the first 48 hours, the powerful withdrawal symptoms many of us have experienced are purely psychological.
So really it’s not a 50-50 addiction at all, is it? No, it’s more of a 90% - 10% addiction.
That's big news; because it affects the way the addiction should be treated. The majority of attention should be focused on the mental side of things. The primary strength of the addiction is not physical at all. It’s in your mind.
We know the addiction is nicotine dependence and it’s an easy one to prove. Here’s the test: Wouldn’t you quickly switch brands, if it were announced today that from now on there was going to be absolutely zero nicotine in the cigarettes that you presently smoke? You’d switch in a heartbeat.
Tobacco companies
sell us nicotine.
"Nicotine is addictive.
We are then in the business of selling nicotine, an addictive drug." Quote from British American Tobacco Co. senior
executive way back in 1963!
This quote is
significant because it is more proof of what they are selling to us. It is not really glamour at all – it’s a
drug. It’s nicotine.
So by definition,
the tobacco companies are drug dealers. They got us hooked on the drug through deception, misdirection, lies,
cover-ups and every other means at their disposal. Once we’re hooked, the idea is to sell us our drug for the rest
of our shortened lives.
These companies
also support the illusion that quitting is excessively difficult, while
promoting smoking as extremely glamorous, mainstream and wonderful. It
isn’t.
And to stop smoking isn’t excessively difficult for anyone who learns to cope with craving and make some behavioral changes and adjustments. All it really takes is a little know-how and determination.
"If we have
our own why of life, we can clear almost any how." - Friedrich
Nietzsche
We are all
different and unique individuals, obviously. But we also all have a few traits we share with one another: For one
thing, virtually all smokers eventually become hooked, or addicted.
Everyone believes
they have his or her own personal reasons to smoke. But really, all smokers
smoke for the same basic reasons.
As nicotine
levels in our system decrease, we begin to crave. As a smoker, it just feels "better" to smoke when that
happens, so when we get the opportunity, we light up, and the craving goes
away. As a bonus, we also get a quick
2-second “brain buzz”.
When you take the
nicotine away, you take the “buzz” away. And what good is smoking a cigarette if you don’t get the buzz? You need
the nicotine to get the buzz.
Here’s a profound
fact: Not all beliefs are based on
truth.
Our belief in the
illusion that smoking is glamorous and cool is an example of beliefs that are
based on lies.
There’s no glamour
in a cigarette. What’s cool about
sucking on a drug delivery device? Do
you think it’s cool?
When we were
young and impressionable, the finest experts in their field hoodwinked us into
believing that smoking is cool and exciting. It isn’t. We’ve all been
bamboozled!
So now you know
that it’s not cool and the costs far outweigh the benefits. But it’s too late – you’re hooked.
They lied to you
- and now you are addicted. Let’s make this point perfectly clear: “Big
Tobacco” doesn’t deserve your allegiance, your respect, or your brand loyalty.
They’re just billionaire drug dealers.
You didn’t start
smoking innocently; it wasn’t an accident. You were carefully manipulated through carefully crafted advertising and
the finest Hollywood persuasion money can buy.
First they hooked
you and now they supply you. What a
racket.
You are not in
control of your habit now, nor have you ever been in control.
The tobacco
companies got you started and the addiction just took hold, after very a little
use. And because this is an addiction
based on lies, not long after becoming hooked, much of the luster and appeal
wore off - but the need to maintain the habit, remains.
Here’s an excerpt
from a report to the Board of Directors of Philip Morris: "A cigarette for the beginner is a symbolic act. “I am no longer
my mother's child, I'm tough, I am an adventurer, I'm not square … As the force
from the psychological symbolism subsides, the pharmacological effect takes
over to sustain the habit"
Think back to
your first thoughts surrounding smoking, if you can. You now know that much of the mystique and allure were just
manufactured illusions. Refuse to
believe those lies any longer.
An understanding
of what is real and what is manufactured will help you begin to take back
control of your life. With that control
comes happiness and freedom.
The psychology
principle known as the “Locus of Control”, basically translates to: "Peace
of mind is directly related to the degree that we feel we are in control of our
lives."
Peace of mind is
what we are all after. With it, our lives are more enjoyable and manageable.
It’s our natural quest.
Peace of mind is
often synonymous with personal happiness and a state of blissfulness.
Freedom and
control play very important roles in our peace of mind and happiness. As smokers, we are told where we have to go
to smoke, and when we can go there. We
must constantly put up with people who don't look favorably at smoking and sometimes
even have to show ID to buy them - at a price most smokers feel is too
high. That's a lack of control.
Smokers come to
believe that smoking is required to relax, control appetite, wake up in the
morning and through repetition, it often becomes their reality. That's a big lack of control.
How many times
did you make a special trip to the store for a pack of smokes or tear the house
apart in a desperate search to satisfy a craving?
This obvious lack
of control in our lives is not good for our peace of mind and when peace of
mind is what we are all striving for, is it possible for any smoker to be truly
comfortable?
Cigarettes have
far too much control over our lives to allow us to be genuinely happy and
relaxed.
The only way to
true happiness – and to feel we are in control of our own lives – is to get
control of the smoking habit - and congratulations, you’ve already begun to
assume control.
Remember:
Knowledge is Power. And you are in the
process of absorbing a significant amount of it. You’re well on your way!
That’s the end of the information portion of this Module.
Once again, the first thing to do is
schedule a time and place for tomorrow’s seminar and exercises.
Also, if you are using the pack wrappers, go over your smoking activity from today’s filled-in log and plan to not smoke the same times and places tomorrow.
Continue to interrupt your smoking habits and patterns tomorrow and delay
lighting your first smoke by at least another 15 minutes. You’ll find it’s well
worth the effort in the long run.
Module Three Daily Affirmation
Spend 3 to 5 minutes in front of the mirror before going to bed tonight and repeat the exercise tomorrow when you get up in the morning. "I’m worth this effort. My life is about to improve." What a great way to start the day! Or end the day!
Whenever you can, repeat it to yourself tomorrow. When you’re sitting in traffic or waiting in line at the bank – whenever you get a chance, repeat this phrase to yourself. You can’t say it too many times. "I’m worth this effort. My life is about to improve." Believe it. It’s true!
Today’s visualization exercise is almost the same as yesterdays except in this one let’s revisit some of the smoking situations you found yourself in today. Imagine living through them again - without the cigarette.
This is a powerful mental exercise, because if you can picture yourself as a non-smoker in day-to-day situations, you will find the transition to non-smoker is much easier and feels far more natural.
So just like yesterday, once you are in your super-relaxed state, picture yourself in a favorite “nature setting”, such as walking along a beach or on a path winding through a forest. Or, once again, you may want to try to get something different going, like a “genie” or “magic wand” scenario.
Whatever you decide, be sure to put yourself into the most comfortable or
lavish settings that you can come up with. Use your imagination and have fun
for a few minutes, rewarding yourself with a great daydream. Go on a little
imagination holiday.
Spend time just enjoying yourself in your favorite imaginary place, as each wonderful breath you take becomes part of you, saturating every cell in your body with goodness. Perhaps you would like to visit the still pond from Module One. Toss in a pebble and as the ripples radiate across the water’s surface, feel yourself slipping deeper into relaxation.
As each breath enters, it fills you with energizing strength and each breath that leaves, washes away any negative energy. Imagine that you can feel the ripples on the pond washing over you and making you stronger and stronger. (Spend a few minutes enjoying yourself.)
Continue your little imagination holiday and as you do, squeeze your middle
finger together with your thumb. Maintain the gentle pressure for about 30 seconds as you imagine
yourself completely content to be smoke-free in the nicest environment you can
conjure up.
After you have enjoyed this beautiful picture for a while, let your thoughts drift off to a particular smoking situation from earlier today. Fantasize about being in that situation again, but this time, contentedly without the cigarette. Be a happy non-smoker in the same situation. Try to picture yourself exactly the same as you were earlier – only happier and without the cigarette.
Do whatever it takes to “see” yourself as a content, comfortable, healthy non-smoker in this one situation. It’s your fantasy and it can go any way you choose, so be sure it’s 100% positive and in your favor - and without the cigarette.
Keep daydreaming until you feel you’ve “passed the rehearsal”. You may find this to be an ideal time to fall asleep. Or just relax and enjoy yourself before bringing yourself back down to reality. You’ve earned it. You’re doing great. Keep up the good work.
That’s the end of Module 3.