Should a Smoker Stop Smoking?

May 5, 2018 Quit Smoking No Comments

Not as such. However, (s)he should be able to ‘not want to smoke anymore.’ That’s a very different thing to do. It may not be straightforward, but is definitely worthwhile.

Don’t ‘quit’

Apart from, or entwined with the small chemical influence on the brain, a smoker smokes mainly because one way or another, the smoking – mostly non-consciously – means something important to him/her as total person. This may for instance be a deeply connotated idea of ‘being social’ or ‘being free to do what I want’. It may be related to the time one started smoking or to some broader view of ‘oneself as smoker’, with or without being consciously aware of it. Anyway, the idea of quitting then deeply inside means losing something important.

Of course, this provokes resistance from inside yourself

mostly without knowing exactly where it comes from (since it’s ‘non-conscious’). Thus as a smoker, you may not find the motivation to quit – being to lose this important part of yourself. This is natural. Additionally, it’s an important cause of relapse. You may recognize the feeling of ‘getting caught up again’ without consciously wanting to. The deeper longing is why. So, better not to ‘quit’ anything at all. The following may be a maxim on your way to not wanting to smoke anymore:

zero tolerance for the idea of ‘quitting’.

You might take a little more time to really let this pervade you now. Also, at some lost moments during the day, this may be your mantra: you do not ‘quit’ smoking nor anything else that is deeply related. Instead, you should evolve towards not wanting to smoke anymore. Most important on your journey is that you don’t leave anything worthwhile behind. That and only that may be your truth. There should be no feeling of loss. Only then can you truly enjoy life as a non-smoker. Otherwise, it may be a continuous battle… against yourself.

Be very, very kind.

Don’t coerce yourself. If you like to use self-discipline, then please do so. Anything goes, as long as you keep the feeling that you don’t quit anything important at all in your change towards not-smoking.

Help is available.

Maybe you don’t need it, then that’s very good. But if you do, it’s there. Or better: here.

What matters is your happiness.

You should be a happy person!

Happiness comes with living according to your true values, being true to yourself, not leaving anything important behind, going forward to who you truly are, in totality. Your true values provide a flow upon which happiness can go to great length. Smoking or not smoking in congruence to who you are is an important element in this.

Did I mention the word ‘true’ truly enough? Indeed this is of utmost importance. Do not lose who you are!

I would like a world in which no one smokes.

I would like this really very much. So, if you smoke, then I would be very happy if you could diminish at least to 6 cigarettes, if possible to 0… while remaining in tune to yourself