Had a few urges last night and this morning. They do tend to pop up out of the blue at times. The thing is that each time I get them, I find it easier and easier to ignore them. I think the urges are just a fact of life that we must deal with for as long as it takes. I am noticing that they no longer seem to start with triggers. They just appear.
The thing is that though we must be aware of them we still can’t give them to much power. We can’t let them become a thing that would derail a quit. If we dwell on them, it adds power to them. If we find them to be uncomfortable, this gives them power as well. If we forget that they are only a temporary thing, this too gives the urges power. We must know our urges almost as a living thing in order to beat them.
At times it seems like it would be hard to ignore these things, but I think it can be done with practice. After all, I really don’t want to smoke and I know that. I don’t even like the smell of cigarettes any more, so why would I give these urges any credibility at all. The only thing that I really have to work through is the physical aspect of the urges which are becoming less and less prominent with each passing day.
Although I realize that the urges must be respected for what they can do, they still don’t have to be a driving force in my life. Instead I choose to do other things that take away their power. Sucking on a straw. Breathing deeply. Writing or reading. And when at work I never let them get the best of me because I know that I could be at my weakest there. So I work with less breaks. I get more accomplished then I would when I used to take all those smoke breaks so once again quitting is creating a positive scenario in my life.
I look at the urges as an enemy to what I want to achieve. And when one has an enemy, it’s best to know all you can about that enemy. It’s best to understand why that enemy exists. It’s best if we know what we’re up against before that enemy has a chance to do any damage.
And so I continue to live and learn and learn how to live my new smoke free life. This is how we do it. One urge at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time until we reach that moment when we are truly free.
So hello day thirteen! So glad I have another day! Now, onward to freedom!!
