Who Will You Listen To?
Now that you have been removed from smoking for some time, you may think about smoking only once in a while. I’ve found it strange the timing of the thoughts and how random they seem when they do come. You could bend over to tie your shoes, and the next thing you know, you are thinking about taking a puff.
I was watching my favorite cartoon, “Tom & Jerry”, with my 4-year-old son and was reminded of those moments you have when you think about smoking. Tom was trying very hard to be a good cat, but he had this little Red Devil on his shoulder reminding him of how much he wanted to eat Jerry Mouse. And the minute he started to take action on his “evil” thoughts, he was quickly reminded of his goals by a little White Angel on his other shoulder.
Poor Tom the Cat struggled the whole episode with his thoughts. And eventually (in a fist-fight of course) the little Red Devil ended up overcoming the White Angel on his other shoulder. Tom went back to being a cat who loves to chase mice.
My point is that everyone who has smoked for some time as a certain makeup within them that makes them want to revert back to being a “bad” cat. But it’s not a little Red Devil on your shoulder who pops up at inopportune times to tell you that you want to smoke. The culprit is your brain.
It is amazing how powerful your brain is. If you don’t constantly tell your mind that you are a Non-Smoker, it will always tell you that you want to smoke. It takes months, and even years of convincing your mind you never want to go back.
This is the key: There is a big difference between a Smoker who is depriving themselves of nicotine than a Non-Smoker who never wants to go back to having to smoke. You have to convince yourself that you are a Non-Smoker – That’s the battle you must win.
Who will you listen to? If you do not remind yourself every day of how much you like being a Non-Smoker, that little Red Devil inside you will inevitably creep up on your shoulder and tell you that you can handle “just one cigarette.” Realize that there is never just one. Listen to the soft voice of the White Angel on your other shoulder telling you that you are worth it. Thank yourself for quitting, and realize that being a Non-Smoker is easy as long as you never take another puff again.
— Brian Frank