In life, there’s so many things that can affect us. How we feel physically. How we feel mentally. And our perception of the world around us as we live our lives. We can look at a tall mountain, and the beauty of it can almost bring tears to our eyes. Or we can feel empathy for others, where their actions generate an emotional response within us. In other words, we humans react to the stimulus of our environment.
When we choose to quit smoking, our perception of how things will be is at first a seemingly horrible perception. At first, we just can’t seem to see past the fact that we think cigarettes make us happy. And this creates an emotional response within us. One of fear or one of sadness that we can’t just go on as we always have.
Preparing to quit is an exercise to prepare us to perceive things differently. To help us to understand what our new world will look like so that we’re not blindsided by our own emotions when we begin the journey.
Still, when we begin the actual journey, the way we perceive the world actually changes. The people around us seem different somehow, and everything just seems to darn annoying! The slightest thing can set us off and propel us into a place where we don’t want to be. A place filled with a kind of anger that just makes no sense.
The thing to remember during these times is that the anger is generally misplaced. The real problem is our confusing perceptions as we step into the realm of freedom. The endless nagging that we create for ourselves at first. I know when I first quit the first time, I was ready to lash out at another for the slightest little thing!
But in this last quit, after a few days, I seemed to be able to keep my thoughts in a better place and it was actually kind of easy to do. Something that seemed totally out of place on those first hard days, but all it took was a vision of a place that made me smile. A place of my own creation that had every element that would please me within it. For me, it was a quiet spot by a lake. For others it can be whatever we want to make it.
Just like Mt. Freedom, I had this place in my mind that I could go to whenever I needed a break from my current discomforts. All of these things, the mountain, the quiet place, gregp136's playground all serve to get our minds onto something new. These visions take us to a different place when we need it most and helps us to cope with the crazy world of the quit. It changes the thought patterns into something more positive.
So the next time you’re feeling angry or out of sorts, take a moment to create a place of beauty within yourself. A peaceful place or a place full of wonder. One that you can visit whenever you need it. A serene place that you can relax in when the toils of the quit get the better of you.
No mood is ever static. No thought has to be our dominant thought unless we let it be. The key is to want to change your thinking and if you can concentrate on a different thought for a while, the mind will follow along with you. Soon the mind, heart and soul once again begin working together toward our goal of freedom. And with each day that we stay on the path, it will get easier. We just have to get through the rough stuff at the beginning.
It’s really an easy exercise and it can change the outlook for an entire day! I wish all of you a peaceful day!
ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!
Chuck
