I remember when I first quit how the days seemed to go up and down, much like life. There’d be the good days and the bad days. The days where the cravings were fairly quiet and then those long days when the addict within just kept screaming at me in a seemingly endless little temper tantrum. Realizing that the cravings only last a few minutes seemed ridiculous on those days, because it seemed like one long endless craving.
The reality is that those cravings really do only last a few minutes. I think what happens is that our minds try to convince us that this isn’t the case. At first we do battle a physical addiction but sooner then we think, we no longer have that part of the journey to deal with. But although our bodies have begun ridding themselves of the nicotine, the mind still hasn’t accepted this new change in our lives.
This is what makes the journey seem so long I think. In order to win this fight, most of us must first wage a kind of war with ourselves. We must convince ourselves that quitting is what we really want to do. We might think we’d done that the moment we decided that quitting was no longer going to be a thought but rather was about to become a reality.
So what do we do when that little brat inside of us keeps throwing a temper tantrum because we no longer give it what it wants? For me, the first few days of this were hard. But then I kind of stepped out of myself and looked at what I was doing. And you know what? I laughed. I stopped for a moment and then I just couldn’t help it. I laughed again. This time out loud. If anyone would’ve been around to see it, they probably would’ve thought I was nuts!
But laugh I did until I was almost in tears. Eventually I calmed my senses enough to actually look at what I was laughing at. I realized just how funny this internal conflict really was. I realized that it would be OK to not take this conflict quite so seriously. And that’s when I realized that this was a monumental step for me. It took away the ability of the addict within to ruin my day simply because I could now see the humor that was myself.
And once we get rid of that clutter, we can refocus on the rest of our quits. We can concentrate on the positive things rather then simply dwell on the negative. And there’s so much that’s positive in what we’re doing here. I mean really, our improved health. Our freedom. Our new found ability to understand the most fundamental workings of our own minds. And the pride that comes with success!
So really. If you can reach that point in your quits, it isn’t the end of the journey but it’s a step in the right direction in my opinion. It can be the difference between a good day and a bad one because if you can laugh at just how silly that addiction really is then it’s pretty hard to give in.
I mean think about it. Your sitting there aware of the constant craving that seems to run through your mind. Your saying to yourself, "God. Am I ever going to rid myself of this horrible nagging feeling?" And then you think, "Only if I smoke." And then, "I’m not going to give in!" And then, "Will this ever end?" And then, "I sure could use a cigarette." And then, "No! I don’t want a cigarette!" And then, "Why, sure you do. That’s what all the fuss is about."
And on and on until you catch yourself and then the laughter starts. At least that’s how it worked for me. But if you can’t quite get to that point yet then be sure to use your support system. Blogging is an excellent way to pass the time during a crave and it’s safe!
The important thing to remember is that each day that you live without a cigarette is a day closer to your freedom. Each day that you keep that resolve strong within you is a day of success. Look to the summit of Mt. Freedom. It’s there beckoning to you! And you’ve already begun the climb into your future! Can you see the banner of freedom up there? Can you see that there really is a new beginning? Climb my friends! Climb to that summit and never look back because that’s not where your future lies. No. Your future lies ahead of you free of the shackles of addiction!
