People who have successfully quit smoking - what
characteristics do they posses?
Consider the following. Those who did stop smoking:
* Were very unhappy about being a smoker.
* Viewed themselves as too dependent on tobacco.
* Experienced smoking as having a negative impact on their
life.
* Had a determination to stop smoking.
* Implemented action steps. They found ways to quit smoking
and acted on them - (example: sought quit smoking support,
researched ways to quit smoking, tried quit smoking aids,
studied material that gave them insight and understanding
that set them on a new course, etc.)
* Were willing to experience the discomfort of withdrawal
in anticipation of the reward.
People who succeed have a conviction about it. It is like a
"cause" that they believe in and so they "take-a-stand" for
it.
If you are one of those who wants to quit smoking then you
can take it a step at a time and follow your convictions.
There are also many resources available that can help you,
as well as community support. In all of my writings, you
will always hear me say that there is a type of mindset and
a particular place of being that brings about long term
success.
There really is a place of being that resolves around who
you are. For the smoker, smoking is actually supportive of
the very person that they are. It is my hope that those who
want to quit smoking will discover that there is an
understanding about this which will give them a new mindset
(or outlook) which will effect, to some degree, who they
are (or will be). Smoking is not just something that the
person does. Smoking is actually an extension of who the
person is. Can a person stop being who they are? Though the
nicotine aspect of smoking is a difficult issue, it is not
the "thing" that actually prevents someone from long term
success at quitting. The "thing" that prevents success is
the concept of not being able to quit being who they are.
So then, where is a solution? Well, it begins with the
characteristics of a successful quitter which I shared
above. A genuine desire to succeed must be there and this
is not something that someone can give to another. It is
either there or it is not. Also, for long term success, it
goes even deeper. Smoking is rooted in developmental
issues. As I said, it is actually an extension of who a
person is therefore it is important for a person to
consider personal development issues for the purpose of
becoming a different person to some degree; a person who's
emotional support, identity, security and validation do not
come from smoking. Again, the desire to be a different
person, one whose emotional needs are not met by smoking,
is not something that someone can give to another. A person
either has the desire to be a different person or they
don't. In some of my other writings I explain in detail
about personal development but for now I hope you can see
that this is an important part of the process.
In the meantime, if you are struggling, then during your
times of struggle and set-backs always remember - There is
no condemnation! What matters the most is - Intent and
Motive.
----------------------------------------------------
Frank Andrews is the author of two self-help books. This
developed as the result of being a student of personal
development for over 25 years. Having worked through many
of his own personal struggles, he now provides information
to help others. You can find free quit-smoking information
on his website at: http://www.AnswersToQuitSmoking.com
No comments:
Post a Comment