Having previously postponed my decision to stop smoking for thirty years, I've rejoiced in the reality of my freedom from nicotine since 1993. This freedom only came to be because I made a decision to at least try to quit.
The current Olympics broadcasted from Beijing features athletes who make individual decisions to try to execute their best programs. Some take home the gold, but all participants win because they'd already qualified to be a part of this great effort. They made a decision to try. Overcoming nicotine addiction can only happen if one makes a decision to try, to give it a shot.
I wasn't all that "motivated" when I made a decision to try to quit cigarettes. I chose tapering off nicotine rather than "cold turkey" and as I became gradually less and less dependent on smoking, I felt more and more empowered to continue my efforts.
These Olympic games thrill and inspire. Wouldn't this be a great time to make a decision to try to quit nicotine? Think of it! The exhilaration! The accomplishment: achieving freedom from cigarettes! You don't have to put this off for thirty years as I did. There's simply no reason to continue to allow a smoking addiction to define you - to limit you. To stifle the real un-smoking you. Why not visualize yourself inhaling clean, fresh air as you sprint up the stairs without getting nicotine-winded in the process.
Think of how you might feel if you no longer suffered from cigarette dependency. What would you do with such a victory? Where would you go with this new freedom? I can tell you that, with nicotine off my back, I know I've won and have maintained a real life victory.
You may have felt intimidated by Olympiad feats. Let me assure you that one feels far more solidarity with athletics - whether spectator or participant - as a nicotine-free individual.
As the Games move toward their conclusion, you could already be approaching a positive, powerful arrest of your tobacco enslavement. Yes, you can choose to make smoking cessation your personal reality, your triumph.
This could be your new day. Use these Olympics as your backdrop for change in your own life. Become a part of exhilarating achievement. Make your decision.
Related posts:
Breathless in Beijing: Olympics 2008
How to Stay Nicotine-free in the Face of Pain
Visit me at www.quitnicotinenow.net. I look forward to being with you again next week.
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