QUITTING SMOKING IS HARD

When you finally put that last cigarette out for good, everything changes. It isn't just, "Oh, I'm just not going to smoke anymore." Your entire LIFE becomes different. It's hard because once you get going and acquire a few days under your belt, the mind games become ruthless in their attempt at getting you to light up again.

What boggles my mind is that no matter how many days I haven't smoked, nicotine will still try to play games with my mind to persuade me. It doesn't let go for a very long time. Sadly, that's the reality of it all. It isn't just simply putting that last cigarette out and enjoying your life worry-free forever from that moment on. There are a lot of things to deal with.

For example...

I have an upcoming birthday party to go to this weekend. I haven't smoked for a very long time. I also haven't seen some of my friends for a very long time, either, so I know I'll be correlating seeing them with smoking, because in the past, that's what I did around them.

The sad part is that nicotine is playing up the party aspect and trying to convince me beyond reasonable doubt that I won't be able to get through the night without a cigarette. There will be smokers there and I just won't be able to handle it. I might as well give in, right? That's what it tells me.

At the end of the day, it wants me to dwell on the situation. It wants me to think negative thoughts. It wants me to worry about how many drinks I can have without slipping. It wants me to only think about lighting up, and nothing else. Sadly, it's working.

It's hard to change your mindset once the negative thoughts have clouded over. But, that's exactly what I need to do.

Do I want to throw away all the previous days I haven't smoked, simply to take a few drags during a party this upcoming weekend? Is it worth it? Is it worth going through all the physical symptoms all over again, dealing with anxiety attacks, depression, and lack of self-esteem all over again on Day 1? Absolutely not!

What I need to do is channel my inner positive being, and destroy those negative thoughts. I need to turn my mindset around. I need to walk into that party a free soldier, free from tobacco, and free from addiction. I need to act how I really feel.

If this party wasn't coming up, I wouldn't be dwelling on such thoughts. But because it's important to be there, I am. But what's important is staying true to who I am and who I want to be and how I want others to perceive me.

This is the new me. The old me was a smoker.

I need to go to that party with the mindset of telling others how great my life has become, because that is the actual reality of it all. My life HAS become phenomenal. It isn't always dwelling on parties and situations and thinking bad thoughts. This is just one of those moments when nicotine tries to strike back during a potential vulnerable moment. That's all it is.

To waste all I've accomplished for a few drags is just ridiculous, and yet that's what it wants me to do. But I'm going to make it. I'm going to arrive at that party, full of vigor, full of life, and ready to be the person I have always dreamed of being, only this time tobacoo-free.

Don't let nicotine try and change your mindset when an important event arrives. Don't let the mind games take control. Turn everything around towards the positive and destroy those bad thoughts. You will win in the end if you go into it with a positive frame of mind.