Post by judyb on Apr 4, 2018 12:43:10 GMT -5
Day 15
Irritability is a big complaint of people who quit smoking. All those little things that you once took in
your stride bug you. The sound of certain voices may make you feel murderous. Being put on hold is
more than you can take. Trying to be civil is exhausting. You miss the old easygoing Joe or Jill
everybody was so fond of; anything that got on your nerves was met with a cigarette.
You can be fairly confident that your irritability level will go down in the next two weeks, although you
may not become like Buddha. It's possible that behind that curtain of smoke, which you raised
whenever any small annoyance was at hand, is a somewhat irritable person, one of the reasons you
smoked was to obscure that unwelcome fact. Becoming less irritable, which you can do, may take
some time and effort--with meditation, therapy, fresh air, biofeedback, exercise, etc.
There are, however, some things that are just plain irritating, such as injustice and dishonesty. These
should rightfully be met with action, rather than with either smoking or a smile.
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Day 16
It helps to practice turning down cigarettes before the chance even arises. Imagine Rhett Butler
sidling up next to you while you're standing line at the movies. "Cigarette?" he says. "NO THANK YOU.
I DON'T SMOKE," you say. Rhett won't stick around, but you could be stuck with the cigarettes for
years to come.
Suppose something frightening happens. Your brother is out fishing, there's a storm, his boat doesn't
return. You are waiting at the pier with your sister-in-law, who is chain-smoking. DON'T SMOKE.
Whatever happens, smoking will only make it worse.
Actually, it's usually the mundane situations that get you. Your cousin, a nonstop talker who has been
boring you out of your skull for 25 years, is visiting. In a moment of clarity, you realize that
chain-smoking got you through his visits before. Get out your knitting. Or get him out. If a situation is
driving you to smoke, change the situation.
From: www.amazon.com/Meditations-Surviving-Without-Cigarettes-Wanning/dp/0380769166
Irritability is a big complaint of people who quit smoking. All those little things that you once took in
your stride bug you. The sound of certain voices may make you feel murderous. Being put on hold is
more than you can take. Trying to be civil is exhausting. You miss the old easygoing Joe or Jill
everybody was so fond of; anything that got on your nerves was met with a cigarette.
You can be fairly confident that your irritability level will go down in the next two weeks, although you
may not become like Buddha. It's possible that behind that curtain of smoke, which you raised
whenever any small annoyance was at hand, is a somewhat irritable person, one of the reasons you
smoked was to obscure that unwelcome fact. Becoming less irritable, which you can do, may take
some time and effort--with meditation, therapy, fresh air, biofeedback, exercise, etc.
There are, however, some things that are just plain irritating, such as injustice and dishonesty. These
should rightfully be met with action, rather than with either smoking or a smile.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Day 16
It helps to practice turning down cigarettes before the chance even arises. Imagine Rhett Butler
sidling up next to you while you're standing line at the movies. "Cigarette?" he says. "NO THANK YOU.
I DON'T SMOKE," you say. Rhett won't stick around, but you could be stuck with the cigarettes for
years to come.
Suppose something frightening happens. Your brother is out fishing, there's a storm, his boat doesn't
return. You are waiting at the pier with your sister-in-law, who is chain-smoking. DON'T SMOKE.
Whatever happens, smoking will only make it worse.
Actually, it's usually the mundane situations that get you. Your cousin, a nonstop talker who has been
boring you out of your skull for 25 years, is visiting. In a moment of clarity, you realize that
chain-smoking got you through his visits before. Get out your knitting. Or get him out. If a situation is
driving you to smoke, change the situation.
From: www.amazon.com/Meditations-Surviving-Without-Cigarettes-Wanning/dp/0380769166