I began smoking at 15, I think. Peer pressure. Bullying. I got hooked.

Years later, when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, the doctor asked if I smoked. I said yes. He said to throw them away and quit. I told him I would, but he forced me to throw the cigarettes in the garbage can in the exam room. I did. I did not smoke again until after my daughter was born.

I didn’t want my daughter to see me smoking or be near the smoke. So, I spent time away from her on the porch or outside of the car, puffing away. I didn’t want her to get close to me because I feared I reeked of cigarette smoke, so I stayed away until I brushed my teeth or had a breath mint. It bothered me, but not enough to quit it. I blamed having too much stress as a single mom for continuing smoking. I felt it calmed me down. I was justified!

Given the many things I disliked about smoking, why couldn’t I quit? I also felt terrible creating litter by throwing a cigarette out the car window or butting it in a parking lot. It bothered me that I was also spending a lot of money on them and that I felt awkward around non-smokers thinking they could smell it, but it still did not help me quit. I tried Nicorette gum and the step-down method, where you remove one cigarette from your daily amount and keep going down until you’re okay with smoking one or two a day. It’s supposed to make it easier to quit. Not for me. I kept finding excuses why I needed a cigarette. I craved the nicotine too much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did go periods quitting for a week, but then I returned to it. I didn’t want to gain more weight and felt that would happen if I quit. I knew I wanted to do it, but I saw it as very difficult and never thought it was possible. Then I got Brian Tracy’s book No Excuses! The Power of Self-Discipline on CD and listened to it while driving.  He mentioned the idea of thinking, “I am a non-smoker.” I took that advice and went one step further.

Here’s how I did it. 

First, I had the desire to quit. That’s most important. I felt I had enough and wanted to stop smoking for good.

Then I visualized myself being a non-smoker. Multiple times

day. Every day. When I drove in the car, I saw myself not smoking (even with a cigarette in my hand). Before I drifted off to sleep, my last thought was that I was a non-smoker and saw myself healthier and happier. I did that for about a year. I believed so strongly that I was a non-smoker.

In 2016, I learned I had two tumors in the parotid gland in my cheek (part of the salivary system) from an MRI done on my neck. I was terrified! Given the scope of the surgery, I went to a specialized surgeon at Geisinger Danville. There was potential facial paralysis since the tumors ran through the facial nerve. The doctor was a super friendly fellow, and he asked if I smoked. I told him yes. He said I needed to quit.

After the intensive surgery, I could not open my jaw for weeks and was in much pain. I thanked God the tumors were benign. But as soon as the wounds healed, I was back to smoking! I was so angry at myself. How could I endure such an ordeal, knowing the smoke goes into my mouth and take that risk? I was so foolish!

Then, I supercharged my thoughts into believing I was a non-smoker. Multiple times a day, even with the cigarette in my hand, I repeatedly thought:

• I’m a non-smoker. I love being a non-smoker. (It’s essential to use positive words in the present tense instead of “I quit smoking” or “I don’t smoke,” which have negative connotations.)
• It feels great to be a non-smoker.
• I’m worth it. I deserve to be a non-smoker.

Nine months later, I had another surgery for a deviated septum. The dressing in my nose completely blocked it, and I could only breathe from my mouth for two days. Eating was not fun. When the dressing came out and I could breathe, it felt terrific, and I lost all desire to smoke again.

I’ve been a non-smoker since May 1, 2017. I didn’t use any gum or pills to succeed. I just stopped and never went back and hardly ever thought about it again. How is that so?

I programmed my brain to think of myself as a non-smoker to the point where I willed it to reality. We all can rewire our brains, but it takes work and commitment. Many thoughts go on in our brains daily, and it takes discipline and awareness to focus on what we want our lives to be. I know it sounds simple, and it is, but it does take work. And this could work with anything, not just quitting smoking.

Look at it like a commitment to yourself. You commit to your significant other, family, or job. Why not make one for yourself?

Thank you for reading, and I hope you find some inspiration from this post if you want to be a non-smoker.

To overcoming a habit, you’d like to stop,

Francesca