Strong Positive Attitude

During the first few weeks I worked hard to maintain a strong positive attitude while refusing to allow negative thoughts to infect my thinking and dreams. While feeding myself large doses of positive thought I also confronted and analyzed those remaining thoughts that seemed to keep inviting relapse. Soon, it was no longer a matter of trying to believe what I was telling myself. I did believe in the new nicotine-free me!

Although at times intense, I did my best to remain focused on the long overdue healing occurring inside this body. I saw each and every day as a full and complete victory in and of itself. Today I was free and today I continued to heal! The little gifts along the way – the smells, tastes, energy, extra pocket change, the whiteness emerging in the smile, pride, empty pockets, a bit bigger step, odorless fingers, hope, endurance, new found time, long overdue self-respect, gradually lengthening periods of comfort, freedom and even the few extra pounds – was simply me coming home to meet me.

I encourage you not to fight your recovery but to find joy in it. Welcome each crave and thought, and embrace them as a very necessary part of this amazing temporary journey of re-adjustment. It’s nice never having to quit again. Our prior attempts failed because we lacked understanding but not this time. Our eyes and minds are open and this time we’re going the distance, headed home to again reside inside a quiet mind and to again meet the real “us”!

Do not sell your mind on the belief that starting your new life needs to be painful or intense. If you relax, maintain a positive attitude, keep your reasons for wanting to break free in the forefront of your mind, abandon the unrealistic victory standard of “quitting forever” and instead focus on only the next hour, challenge or day (there is no need to see yourself eating the entire elephant when one bite at a time is plenty), drink plenty of fruit juice for the first three days to keep your blood sugar level, don’t skip meals, reduce your caffeine intake by roughly half if you’re a big caffeine user, this adventure toward meeting the nicotine-free and comfortable you may turn out to be the most enjoyable and deeply satisfying experience of your entire life — even if challenged now and then.

We are what we think. If you think recovery will be difficult then why shouldn’t it be? If you believe that the healing happening inside that body is utterly amazing then it is. If you keep thinking you will fail then chances are you will. If you believe that no force or circumstance on his planet can stop your quest for freedom then nothing can. Victory is in the mind.

© WhyQuit.Com 2000, 2013
The original article has been modified to be more relevant for dippers and chewers.