How to become smoke free: My journey, trials, failures and successes - Part 2 - My motivation

Submitted by Wheezy on

Everybody who is anybody, whether they've never smoked or smoked and stopped always start with the same "advice" what's your motivation for stopping?

Well I think for many of us, this is actually and acutely hard question to answer..... Why?

Well, here's 4 reasons

1 - We know it's not healthy but that hasn't helped us stop, in fact if you are like me the more you are reminded about that the more you smoke!

2 - We know it's expensive. However I struggle to perceive in mind how much the amount of money it is costing me actually is. Yes people say put what you would have spent in a jar, but then it is sat on the side so it actually makes it easier to buy cigs since the cash is there and you won't have yet another sub £10 entry on the credit card. If the money was our motivation we'd have stopped by now.

3 - Friends and family - well they all know I smoke, they may not like it, but I can be stubborn and the more you mention it, the more I will smoke. When I do stop smoking I want it to be because I decided to and I took the action. I really don't want anyone taking the credit and saying "see I told you that she would listen to me". I listen to everyone and no-one, I am my own person making my own decisions.

4 - Being told about other people who have died from smoking or smoking related problems. Again this comes down to how unhealthy smoking is and as smokers we already know this, so don't keep telling us as all you'll do is force us into thinking, "well if it's really that bad for me, I may as well have another one!"

So to answer the question I started with, what is my motivation for wanting to stop?

This time it is first and foremost I don't want my beautiful Goddaughter or Niece or Nephew to thinking smoking is OK and a good idea to take up. I recently saw a presentation by Janine Mitchell when she again informed me that the subconscious, which holds our beliefs, is formed by the age of 7 so thinking back to my younger years, before the age of 7 my Nanna and my Gramps both smoked freely in their own home. They both appeared to enjoy it and, at that point, neither of then seemed to have ill health through it. I don't want to be part of the reason my Goddaughter, Niece or Nephew thinks about trying smoking.
Of course points 1 to 4 also play a part in this decision as do all my family and my wonderful husband who I know would prefer it if I stooped.

So to quote Laura Lucas (yes the lady from yesterday's blog) because she is awesome and also because she replied to my share of yesterday's blog with a quote that I think sums up today's post brilliantly.....

"Work on changing your belief about how hard it is. Try 'Maybe this time it won't be as hard as I thought"

Thank Laura and to anyone reading this post - I am sure that going through this journey together it won't be as hard this time.