Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.
- Mario Andretti
When I first came to BecomeanEx I had a desire to Quit Smoking. But I didn't know what it would actually take to get it done for Life! That still sounds like a tremendous goal! But you can't eat an elephant in one bite!
I first had to make a commitment to get through the physical withdrawal and honestly as a serial quitter that part was easy for me. I had done this much many, many times. I knew what I was getting into and I knew that it wouldn't last more than 3 or 4 days.
What took more effort on my part is to commit to the unknown! What would it be like to live without tobacco? That was something I hadn't experienced in decades! And you can't compare because as a kid I didn't have the stress and responsibility I have as an Adult. I mistakenly believed that smoking somehow helped me with that!
Recovery slowly taught me that the only stress Nicotine actually relieved was caused by Nicotine! It never really relieved Life Stress! I felt stressed a lot because I smoked!
And smoking never helped me with responsibility! I believed it did! I thought I kept my cool under pressure by smoking a Sickerette! What I did was to hide under a smoke cloud instead of dealing with problems - especially relationship problems.
I couldn't bring the whole me to the negotiation table of relationships because the whole me wasn't available to me! Addiction numbs people out! You don't get the lows but you also lose the highs of Life!
Would I even like myself as an EXer?
All these are things I couldn't commit to on Day 1 because I didn't know! That's OK! You eat an elephant one doable bite at a time!
Recovery is a process and you can't see what you can't see! But you can make the Daily Commitment to N.O.P.E. and let this beautiful trip of Abundant Smoke FREE Living unroll itself little by little!
And when the time comes you will be like many of us who have no doubt that they will never take another puff again no matter what!
Commit to Today! Have the determination to respect that commitment and make it happen!
The long term will take care of itself!
Believe in the process! Believe in Yourself!
You have what it takes to Succeed!
Well said, well written, thank you Thomas!
Great blog Thomas. If I hadn't made a commitment & stuck to it I would not be smoke free for 12 years,4 months, one week, 5 days, 9 hours, 37 minutes and 52 seconds.
Keep on keepin on,
M n @
