Learning to fight an addiction can be an incredibly monumental task, although it's quite doable. When we first started smoking we added to our addictions each day. Every cigarette that we lit continued to fuel our addictions. Slowly the addict within began to form new neural pathways into the various parts of our brains, like a parasite attacking a host.
We don't really feel this as it happens because an addiction is quite sneaky and our minds have to learn to accept it's presence. At first we ignore that it's there as it continues to shoot out tentacles deep into our minds. By the time we realize that we're addicted, the addict within has already got us under it's spell.
And then I think most of us reinforce the addict as we try our best to ignore the fact that not only are we addicted but we're also changing our very lifestyles as the addict within gains more and more control over our lives. I think we all remember the need to get somewhere where we can smoke that cigarette and rather then feeling like we're harming ourselves we get upset because we don't have the “right” to smoke wherever we want. We start to realize that we get angry when we can't have that cigarette and yes, one day we realize that not only are we addicted but the addiction seems stronger then we ever imagined it could be.
Still we continue on, ignoring the fact that we're living a life of enslavement until one day we wake up and think, “Why in the heck am I doing this? What's wrong with me?”
When this happened to me the first thing I did was light a cigarette. I mean after all, isn't this what we always do when we're stressed? But on this one day there was something different. On this day we decide that it's time to squash our addictions. It's time to break away from the old friend. It's time to kick the addiction to the curb.
And then what happens? The fear sets in. I think the reason for this fear is because the addict within is firmly rooted into the various parts of our brains. The brain is used to receiving it's dopamine from cigarettes and as such can't think of a better solution to remain happy. The addicted mind cannot see past the addiction to the realities that we all know to be true. That cigarettes are killing us. That they are enslaving us. That they are ruining almost every aspect of our lives.
And yet somehow, we all seem to find a way above our addictions. We slowly realize that we need to be free. That we need a new and different life and that this new life cannot have cigarettes in it. We face a reality that we never wanted to face. This is the day that we actually rip the first tentacle of addiction from ourselves. Once we accept the fact that we really are going to quit then it becomes easier to see through the mask of our addictions. And once we can start lifting all those deceptions from ourselves well, that's really the first day of our quits even if we're still smoking at first.
From there we prepare. We learn our addiction in order to understand how to beat it. And yes, on that first day when we take back our freedom, we're just a little more aware of a reality that we long to see. A reality of freedom. A reality of peace. A reality of love of life.
This first day of not smoking is the beginning of something incredible! It's not a day to be sad. No, it's a day to rejoice for who wouldn't want to be free of slavery. Who wouldn't want to enjoy a life that is so full of wonder that we might not have even noticed because we were to busy feeding our addictions.
So take that first step my friends, and if you already have then always look ahead to that day of peace when you can finally feel a calm like you haven't felt in years. It's within all of us to climb out of the jaws of addiction, and because it's hard, we're here to help.
I'll see you all on the summit of Mt. Freedom soon!!
ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!
