Holidays can be a rough time for those who are trying to quit smoking. Getting out with family and friends can bring on those thoughts of smoking because in our past those smokes were always there. As Dale mentioned in a post yesterday, alcohol is the enemy of those who are trying to quit simply because it can change our thinking and help us to loosen our grip on the reality that we no longer smoke. It can make all those excuses to smoke seem more real.
But the reality is that it’s no excuse to smoke. We are the only ones who can make ourselves smoke. There were times during my quit that I’d get those kinds of urges whether I was drinking or not. The way that I dealt with them was to look at things a little differently. Rather then thinking about how good that cigarette would taste, I’d think about how I’d feel if I gave into myself.
I knew that I’d feel like a failure. I knew that I’d be kicking myself and that starting over would be twice as hard as the last time. I knew in my heart that what I really wanted was that freedom and I always kept that thought in the forefront of my mind for you see, I was learning just how heavy the old ball and chain that I’d been carrying around for years really was and when I thought back I realized that although the addiction seemed strong right now, it was nowhere near as strong as it used to be.
To me, this was reinforcement. This was the light in the darkness that’s called progress. And when you take the time to think about that, it just helps get through the next day and the next until you find that freedom. It’s a freedom that’s been there all along, lying dormant inside of you and waiting for you to accept it as the new reality. Don’t worry. It’ll come so long as we get through those harder days.
So stay strong my friends. Remember that although each day is as important as the last it’s also the day that you build your new future. If you think that you have to lock yourself away to be safe then by all means do it! Right now the most important thing is that your still on the right path tomorrow.
And if you do go out there and feel your resolve slipping then get away! Take a walk and breathe. Think about your future without cigarettes. Visualize your new life without them or even better, go see a movie! You can’t smoke there and in a way as you sit through it you’ll realize that the next time you come in here, you won’t even be the least bit worried about missing part of that movie because of an addiction.
Stay true to your vision of a future without cigarettes because you are creating that future right now. What you do today will determine what your world will look like tomorrow.
