Quitting is such an interesting phenomenon. We know we should quit. We know it could very easily kill us to continue. We know in our hearts that it’s not something we want to do. There are so many reasons to quit and really, so few reasons not to. So why does it seem so hard to us at times?
To me, it’s because we never really wanted to quit in the first place. Our addictions creep into the deepest places within our beings and creates a scenario that is based on lies. Not on facts. We feel that we enjoy smoking. We feel that our lives would be so empty if we were to quit. We feel like the entire world will change and that we will never be happy again without those cigarettes.
But as I mentioned, these are the lies of an addiction. These are the ways that we used to convince ourselves that smoking is O.K. And it’s embedded so deeply within us that I think we have to understand that we really, really don’t want to smoke. We have to convince ourselves of the truth. And that truth is that there is nothing good about the cigarette.
It’s a strange situation that we must cast ourselves into in order to be successful. I think a large part of our pain comes from the fact that we do indeed fight ourselves and the very beliefs that are at the core of our beings. I don’t really know why or how the addiction becomes so deeply embedded into us. I just know that it is.
This fact should make the tobacco companies that have worked so hard to enslave us pretty darn happy. After all, they can be fairly confident that all of the chemicals and means of delivering massive amounts of nicotine to us is indeed creating the situation that brings them so much profit. Their methods do indeed create an addiction so strong that we find it almost impossible to even think about quitting without a huge discomfort welling up inside us.
Thing is, it doesn’t have to be this way. We prove that every day that we manage to keep our addictions at bay. We prove this every time we take that first step and find a way to convince ourselves that quitting is indeed an option. That quitting really is something that can be done and that yes, we won’t die from nicotine withdrawals. The sad fact is that we will die if we don’t stop.
And so we all take that first reluctant step into the unknown world of freedom. We force ourselves at first to believe that what we’re doing is the right thing. We build a foundation that is firm enough to stand on and then we embark on a mission like no other we’ve ever done before in our lives!
We shake and hate those first days as the cravings tell us that smoking is the only thing that can make us feel better. We fight and scratch our way through and realize that yes, we can live without this evil addiction. We realize that yes, this is the right course of action to take. And yes, we have been fooled by the sweet lies of our addiction.
This is indeed a tipping point in a quit I think. The day that we can see through those lies and force ourselves to continue on the right path in life. The one without cigarettes. And even though the mind fights itself as we continue onward, we begin to find a new strength within us. We begin to understand that this is how it’s going to be.
This is when the childish temper tantrum of our addictions begins to ease. This is when we start to believe that we will indeed win this war with ourselves. And this is the day that we find a new understanding of ourselves. A day when we can start to understand that there is indeed a kind of peace waiting for us down the road. The day that we know in our hearts that all this is so very worth the freedom that we are creating on our horizon.
So the next time you question if this whole thing is worth the internal trouble that it seems to create. The next time that you doubt that you can do this long process of quitting. This is the time to look at the lies of our addictions and see them for what they are. This is the time to understand that though you never really wanted to quit, you still did and you did it for your future. You did it for yourself and even more importantly, you did it for the ones you love and for the bright and happy future that you so badly want to see.
This is what makes the whole thing worth it. The future! And just think of how much you learn about yourself with every step that you take. These are things that will help you for the rest of your life!
So rather then thinking that this journey is to hard, cherish each moment of success. Cherish each day that brings you closer to freedom. Cherish all that your learning about yourself and rather then thinking about the discomforts that you might be feeling right now, think instead of the bright future that is just around the corner. That’s where your freedom lies and when you get there you’ll know it was so very worth the effort!
