The smoking gun

Let’s play a little game here, shall we?  I am going to assume you are sitting down right now reading this on your computer.  If for some reason you are not, just do the opposite of what I ask of you.  So here we go:  Try to stand up.  Now tell me this, are you standing or are you sitting?  If you are standing, may I ask you if you tried to stand up or did you just stand up?  If you are still sitting, did you try to stand or did you just sit there

The point I am trying to make here is, you never try to do something.  You either do it or you don’t.  For this blog we are going to use the addiction to smoking to illustrate the simplicity in ending addictive behavior.  The problem is not in the ending of the behavior. The problem is starting it over again once you have quit.  Smokers quit smoking many times every day and then one final time when they go to sleep at night. The problem is they start again once they awaken.

So how do we stay stopped?

What can we do to not start again?

First I am going to tell you what not to do.  Oh you can if you want to but in all likelihood the following things will only be dead end streets down the same destructive path.

First of all, forget the patch.  The patch infuses the body with nicotine, the drug in cigarettes that is highly addictive and destructive.  You are not doing your body many favors by eliminating the smoke from your lungs while at the same time dumping harmful chemicals right into your blood stream.  There is a much larger reason to stop smoking than just eliminating irritants from your lungs.

The next thing to put out of your mind is E-cigs.  Ask yourself this question; Why am I considering quitting smoking?  Take a good look at the answer.  Is living a longer healthier life part of the equation?  E-cigs have not been independently tested so we have no idea if inhaling nicotine is safe.  Are we even sure that is the only chemical in them?

Do you think you can quit?  I mean do you think you are capable of quitting smoking cigarettes?  This is a big question here and the answer may just lead you down another road.  If you really think you are not capable of stopping and staying stopped maybe the question you need to go back to is; who am I?  In fact if you have not answered that question and deeply pondered it, now would be a good time to do so.

For anything we do in life we must have some form of belief that it can be done.  We may not be fully sure we will succeed but we must believe on some level that it is possible.  We may need to look outside of ourselves for assurance that it can be done. For quitting addiction, you only need to look so far as this column to see that someone has been able to remain drug, alcohol, and nicotine free for many years.  If I can do it, you can do it too.  We are made from the very same stuff!

Sometimes we have to look outside our self for our inspiration.  This is where semi-blind faith comes into play.  Believe that the God in you will give you all that you need to end this habitual self harm.   See that others have gone before you and will tell you the great rewards they have had.

Take note of the benefits you will reap from quitting like enjoying the taste of foods and drinks again.  That is one of the first things I noticed when I quit, not only to mention the money saved.  Your health and wellness hangs in the balance here.  Of course, in the eyes of God, there is nothing wrong with smoking, but is it bringing you where you say you want to go in life?  Is this how you wish to treat the temple of your body?  Is placing life-shortening chemicals in your lungs every 15 to 20 minutes the image you wish for others to see in you?  Can you really say that while doing this you are acting out of self love?  What would love do here and now?  I think you know the answer.

(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and Recovery Advocate.  He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, recovery coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery.  Kevin has a passion for holistic living, personal awareness training, and physical meditation. You can visit his website Life After Addicton for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)