~~Nobody will protect you from your suffering. You can't cry it away or eat it away or starve it away or walk it away or punch it away or even therapy it away. It's just there, and you have to survive it. You have to endure it. You have to live through it and love it and move on and be better for it and run as far as you can in the direction of your best and your happiest dreams across the bridge that was built by your own desire to heal.~~ Cheryl Strayed
Sometimes quitters feel that they suffer through their quit. And they may. Learning new skills, getting in touch with their hidden emotions, ridding their bodies of toxic chemicals. It can be hard.
But you still need to live through it. Endure it. Even love it. Because suffering means we are alive. Suffering means we become aware of how strong we are. Suffering won't last. Nothing lasts forever. And during this time of suffering, you need to become gentle with yourself. Kind to yourself. And nurture yourself through it.
Struggling only brings acute suffering. More pain. More focus on the hurt. More suffering. Battling the suffering opens more wounds and can actually lead to relapse. You have to allow it because only through the suffering can you heal.
So, my dear quitters, have patience with yourself. Love yourself. Find yourself. And accept the suffering. It won't last. Really. IT WON"T LAST!!!
And soon you will notice the healing more than the suffering. You'll feel better. You'll look better. And your life will take on new meaning. It means something to quit!! And that means moving through the suffering into the healing.
The world is a beautiful place. You deserve to see it, to enjoy it, to live in it! To discover it, explore it, create it. To feel the joy of it and the wonder of it. To be a part of it.
Own your suffering, then, and move towards healing....towards freedom....towards living the life you were always meant to have.
*ps-May I please add that I never saw quitting as a source of suffering. I was glad I quit and visualized myself healing each and every day. I tried to stay positive and upbeat. Not everyone is like that, I know, so I hope this blog helps those who are having difficulty seeing the healing through missing the smoking.
