Yes, quitting smoking is difficult. It's probably the hardest thing you'll ever have to do, and the hard part lasts way too long. The only thing is, it has to be done. Various studies say it takes 3-10 serious tries before you succeed, so if you're still smoking, accept past tries as falls off the bike and start again.

I know you love life, and because you love life you will quit smoking. Now or later. The sooner you do, the quicker your healing will be, the better your chances of loving a full life. Some smokers have an easy time quitting once they make up their minds, others have hell on wheels for a month. Your unique experience is the one you have to handle. When you have a tough moment, tell yourself that you will never smoke again so you won't have to go through that ugly moment again. Use the worst ones as the best motivators.

If you cry when you can't smoke (this is not uncommon) then get some St. John's Wort or even some Prozac and let it in, this is how you react to quitting. It won't be easier next time. Handle your quitting symptoms this time and you won't need to do it all again.

Please don't judge yourself about this. Make a commitment to quit because your unique life is worth protecting, stack the deck, and then use everything that happens as a lesson. You can learn from others (you don't have time to make every mistake yourself) that smoking one makes the next craving come sooner and harder. Smoking one makes going back to smoking much more likely. Give all you've got to "not one." But if you have to test this yourself, forgive yourself and quit again.

Hold on to your commitment. If you tell your horse that if it gets any worse you will smoke, it will get worse. If you repeat to yourself every day that you have quit, no matter what happens you won't be a smoker again, and that if you smoke one you have to start all over immediately, one will lose a lot of its attractiveness.

Eight years ago I walked on the beach in Hawaii with my sisters Joy and Mary. We were celebrating Mary's first year smokefree. She paid for her trip entirely with money she would have spent on cigarettes. Our other sister, Linda, was in hospice dying of cancer. Linda would have loved that trip as much as we did.

The first week for her was awful, the first month difficult. I'm talking about Mary after she quit. For Linda the first week after her diagnosis was tragic and it got worse from there. Mary had a few nightmares about smoking. Linda lived a nightmare that ended in a painful death.

This year we walked that beach celebrating Mary's nine years smokefree. That first month is a long, long time ago, now the awful moments make good stories. The beach is just as gorgeous. Linda would have loved it.

--- (c) Jeneene L. Brengelman

Questions?

If you're interested in the Quit Kit which includes a tape, book, and toys at the rock-bottom PNN price of $15 plus $3 shipping, e-mail me for ordering information.

" I know the Lord will help - but help me Lord, until You help."

--- (c) Hasidic Prayer quoted in Simple Abundance