How to Stop Smoking

 

Well, I have told you that I have stopped smoking, haven’t I?

You will have one of three reactions, won’t you? If your reaction is, “SO WHAT!” don’t bother to read on, as you are one of those horrid people with no comprehension, tolerance or compassion for others. On the other hand, if you smile and say “WELL DONE! , with a slight doubt (a very, very slight doubt I mean) in your voice, that means that you have gone through the same sort of agony  yourself, or know somebody whom you have helped get over the anguish, and that you know just how fragile the reality of it really is.

Well, this is how I did it.

Doing it is really, really simple – you just simply stop, that is, you throw away or give away all your cigarettes, ash-trays, cigarette-lighters etc.,,,,,,,,, and I mean ALL, and that is IT.

Well, not exactly- you first have to find a valid reason, otherwise it just doesn’t work. It’s no good waiting for your doctor to tell you, that if you don’t stop smoking you will probably die within the next three weeks. They never do, and they probably smoke more cigarettes per day than you do. There are , of course, three thousand other reasons which people seem willing to preach at you (naturally by ‘people’ I mean non-smokers). They never will understand why you don’t stop instantly on THEIR very, very valid reason. You see, they have no idea what a real pleasure smoking is. I didn’t realise it myself, until now that I have stopped, just how much of a pleasure it was. You are doing a job, anything you like, boring or interesting, at a certain point you think, “I’ll just get this bit done, and then I’ll sit down and have a cigarette”. You see, it’s A REWARD! Tea-drinkers do the same with ‘a nice cup of tea’, but I who don’t drink tea, how can I now reward myself? I could go on and on, but you certainly know all the reasons why you smoke…

We all know that the Great One said, “Smoking represents suckling at your mother’s breast. ”or something very similar. Well, there ARE times in one’s life when one needs that substitute (it being rather difficult, if not impossible to have the real thing). Smoking DID help me during that period in many ways, even as a form of masochism when frustrated by circumstances beyond my control. I decided to stop because my life is serene again, and I no longer need a comforter. Physical reactions – a little trouble with my mouth. Sugarless chewing-gum helps.

So what am I trying to tell you? Look to your reasons: if they are valid, continue, if they aren’t , stop. If you do stop, tell EVERYBODY…CONTINUALLY. It will drive them crazy, but hep YOU enormously!