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Permalink Reply by Rose on April 28, 2010 at 2:30pm

Save all the money you would be spending on those nasty smokes and buy yourself something nice!

Permalink Reply by Shannon MsDeliciousBliss* Wall on December 26, 2010 at 12:01pm

Just thought I'd put some life back into this post since New Year’s is around the corner and I'm sure there will be a whole lot of quitting resolutions.

When I was young, I started smoking and I thought it was cool. I liked that it made me feel tough, in control, rebellious and most of all a part of something (the "smoking crowd"). I always had this need to belong because I always felt different or like an outcast. Of course I was NEVER going to get addicted, could stop any time I wanted as a matter of fact. lol

When I got into my mid-twenties I changed jobs to more physically demanding work, found hooping <3 and the hooping/festival community.

I lost fat, gained major muscle and began eating a clean and super healthy diet. I was also becoming a part of a loving community that encourages individuality and “being different”. As a result, I became more confident after years of feeling unattractive and strange. Yay!

But there was still something wrong; I was still smoking! I finally realized that I was no longer in control and was addicted. This fact wreaked havoc on my mental state.

I was so ashamed of myself for smoking since I was so much healthier in every other aspect of my life.

I would constantly have people giving me shocked looks and comments when they saw that I smoked.

I would get comments like "but you're so in shape (healthy, active etc.), how can you be a smoker?!”

I felt even more guilt about my habit.

So I became this secret smoker of sorts. I would keep my smoking away from people in my life I knew it bothered and even led some people to believe I was a non-smoker by quitting and not admitting when I started up again.

I was also aware that I was becoming a role model for young people who were admiring my hooping abilities and by smoking, sending a message that it was cool. So I hid and hated smoking but couldn't find the strength to quit.

This was no way to live. I think in the end, I was smoking more when trying to hide it as smoking was my way of dealing with the stress of the deceit.

I had been a smoker for the last 15yrs and had tried at least five solid attempts at quitting (there had been numerous weak attempts as well lasting a few days or a few hours) over the years. I would even go so low as to smoke butts from ashtrays when trying to stop just so I could get my fix but not succumb to actually buying a pack because that would mean I was a smoker again. Lame!

It’s really quite sad how you can delude yourself from the facts when you are a smoker.

One day a friend lent me that book "Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Quit Smoking" (http://www.allencarrseasyway.com/) and it rocked my world. It gave me a whole new perspective on quitting and how the mindset of the smoker needs to change in order to be successful. I could go into great detail about the beneficial points of this book but that would make this post into a novel =)

All I want to say is that if you really want to quit, please buy this book and give it a try. Don't borrow it from someone or the library because this will be something you will want to keep close to you for a time while you begin your new life as a non-smoker (I gave my friend back her copy too soon and started smoking again shortly after). I had to read this book a few times for the message to really sink in (almost like brain washing myself) but once it did, it really was easy to be a non-smoker. I have only been a non-smoker for 3 ½ months but there is something very different about this attempt and I know it will last. I am no longer depriving myself of something by not smoking but giving myself a gift. So in the holiday spirit, give yourself this gift and change your life. It was definitely the best $20 I ever spent.

I know many others have mentioned this book on this post but I just wanted to reiterate how helpful it is and maybe help someone else on their path to quitting.

Happy Holidays

Bliss

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