The Quit Smoking Report Ezine

The Quit Smoking Report 02/16/99

Published on the first and third Tuesday of each month

Brought to you by QuitSmoking.com
http://www.quitsmoking.com

In this issue:

<> Letter from the Editor
<> Featured Product: How To Quit Smoking Without Willpower or
Struggle
<> Article: What's The Difference?
<> A Word From Our Sponsor
<> Smokers' Stories

You can read previous issues of The Quit Smoking Report on our
web site. Just visit: http://www.quitsmoking.com/ezine

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Hello again everyone!

This issue is a bit different from previous issues. I'm "turning
over the microphone" to a friend and colleague, Mark Whalen.

Actually, I have never met Mark in person, but have worked with
him via phone and email on numerous occasions to bring his
excellent words and book to the viewers and readers of The
Quit Smoking Company web site. Perhaps you have read
some of Marks words already.

Mark is the author of the Pulitzer Prize nominated book, "How to
Quit Smoking Without Willpower or Struggle." In it he "details
the ultimate, nearly effortless method to escape from the most
evil weed known to man, without fighting 'that craving urge'
EVER, without using patches, gum, pills, or any device, for less
than the cost of a carton of cigarettes."

Don't believe it? Read the prologue of Mark's book, right on our
web site. You'll immediately get a sense that this guy is on to
something. Go here, right now and read what mark has to say:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/books/htqprologue.htm

Next, be sure to read the first chapter from his book. If
nothing else, you'll learn a method that may help you cut your
smoking habit down considerably. Read Chapter One now:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/books/htqchapter1.htm

Also, be sure to read Mark's excellent article, "Smoking: Habit
vs. Addiction". Go here:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/habitvsaddiction.htm

Are you beginning to see the simplicity and the removal of
struggle in your quest to quit smoking?

Get all the details about Mark's book, "How to Quit Smoking
Without Willpower and Struggle" by visiting the main page for
the book here:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/books/howtoquit.htm

Mark has also provided an article for this email and you can
read it below. His words are always profound, so I urge you to
read the samples from the books and the article below!

Remember, you can read previous issues of The Quit Smoking
Report on our web site. Just visit:
http://www.quitsmoking.com/ezine

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FEATURED PRODUCT: How To Quit Smoking Without Willpower or
Struggle
http://www.quitsmoking.com/books/howtoquit.htm

What more can I say about this book? It's the best selling book
at QuitSmoking.com because it cuts to the heart of how
to quit without killing yourself in the process. It takes the
struggle out of quitting and replaces it with a step-by-step
examination of the habit and approach to ending the habit.

Read the samples from the books and see for yourself. You won't
be disappointed!

http://www.quitsmoking.com/books/howtoquit.htm

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ARTICLE: What's the Difference?
by Mark Whalen

It's now been just a little over a month past twenty years that
I stopped being a smoker. The date and time are 1/2/79 at 10:00
p.m. The details of how I got there can be found in my book,
"How to Quit Smoking Without Willpower or Struggle", sold in The
Quit Smoking Company bookstore. But that's not what this post is
about. It's about the difference between how I perceived myself
when I smoked versus how I perceive myself since I ended my
relationship with cigarettes.

Here's just one aspect of my experience of the difference. First
and foremost, the increase in my self-respect. I know I have
beaten the most physically and psychologically addictive product
man has ever seen. I'm proud of that feat. It is one of the
great accomplishments of my life.

But my self-respect doesn't just stem solely from that. Any
smoker who is honest with themselves will have to admit that
when they first started smoking, they felt guilty. Deep inside
they knew it was the wrong thing to be doing. For other reasons,
other perceived "benefits", they, WE, decided to overpower that
feeling, suppress that guilt, ignore the thoughts that this
isn't "right".

But after smoking a while, the guilt doesn't just "go away", it
just goes deep into the subconscious, and we get so used to it
that, ultimately, we don't "feel" it anymore. Still, it's there.
Still, it affects everything we do, every day of our lives.
Every decision we make is based upon a self-image that is
created by the measure of our internal values. I personally
believe that the station in life that we feel most comfortable
with is the one that is decided by taking a measure of our
value, and subtracting from that the measure of our guilt.

Should we rise above that station, we will find ways to erode
it, destroy it, reject it. Witness James Dean, Jimi Hendrix,
Janice Joplin, John Belushi, Elvis, Chris Farley, and on and on.
Right now today, Robert Downey, Jr., Christian Slater and Bill
Clinton. Why are they destroying brilliant, wonderful careers?
Because they don't feel worthy of them. And why not? Because
they feel guilty. (I don't know if all these folks smoke or did
smoke, but...)

I'm not saying that just because they smoke, they feel so guilty
that they must self-destruct. I'm only saying that, for those
who do or did, it plays a part.

It's said that "reformed" smokers seem smug and superior to
those still smoking. I think perhaps we may seem that way to the
smokers, but what I believe the smokers are actually perceiving
in us is the newfound self-respect we non-smokers have
discovered. This is abrasive to the smoker, because it forces
the smoker toward feeling, perhaps just a tiny bit, that old
repressed guilt. The pain of feeling "wrong", of doing something
they know they should not. They may instinctively feel something
in us that they desire so much to feel themselves. It's the
pride of knowing we don't feel guilty about smoking any longer!

There are many other differences, benefits, rewards to being a
non-smoker that I have realized, but this post is probably way
longer than any will read anyway. So I'll leave it at this.

Those of you striving to end your relationship with cigarettes
are on the right path. Never doubt it, never falter. Never beat
yourself up because you've backslid. Know that you are in the
process of healing your mind as well as your body. It's a hard
fight you've taken on, perhaps the hardest of your life. You may
not know this until it's over, but IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH IT!!!

Mark Whalen

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A Word From Our Sponsor:

When you're crawling up the walls wanting to smoke, log in to
http://www.QuitSmokingChat.com instead. Have live, real-time
conversations with other smokers who are quitting. Chatting is
FREE and is open to anyone with a Java-enabled web browser.
There's nothing like support from someone who's going through
the same thing you're going through. So, jump in and start
chatting your addiction away!

http://www.QuitSmokingChat.com

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SMOKERS' STORIES

If you can help these folks with your suggestions please send
them email.

Jamie Fisher <Jamie.Fisher@PSS.Boeing.com> writes:

Subject: I QUIT!!!

Fred -
I have been receiving your newsletter for a few months now and
really enjoy it and all the stories from other smokers. I would
read the newsletter and be so motivated to quit smoking then
promptly go outside and have one!! Real smart huh??!! Anyway,
that all changed on January 10th.

I woke up that morning sicker than I have ever been in my whole
life!! I had no desire to eat, drink, or get out of bed much
less smoke!! After three days of that I finally started to feel
better and tried to smoke (another real smart move). The taste
and smell literally made me sick!!! My fiance (also a avid
smoker) came down with the same virus and it has had the same
effect on him! We are both well now and have cravings to smoke
every now and then but are both determined not to give in and
buy that next pack!!

Not the best way to quit in the world but I'll take whatever
works!! By the way, I am 27 and have smoked for about 12 years.
Last year I watched my Grandmother die from smoking related
illnesses but always thought I was young enough to quit and
still have enough time to get myself healthy again. Next month
on the 20th will be the anniversary of her death - I'm going to
stay a non-smoker for her as well as myself (she begged me to
quit last year).

Wish us both luck and keep up the good work!!!

Hey - all you people reading this newsletter who can't wait for
it to be over so that you can go have a smoke........

Remember - if I can do it so can you!!! I'm also going to Weight
Watchers to slim down for my wedding so I have two major things
to overcome!!

Jamie Fisher
Jamie.Fisher@PSS.Boeing.com

+++

Jenny Nicholson <jmnichol@sdcc13.ucsd.edu> writes:
Subject: My Story

Hi-
My name is Jenny, and today is my 20th smoke-free day since
January 1, 1999. [Editor's note: Due to space limitation in each
issue, some letters may seem a bit dated. However, the message
is valuable, regardless of its timing.] I'm surprised that it
has been so easy!!! I want to share with others the one thing
that has helped me so much in my quest to become a born-again
non-smoker. Every time I have felt like I absolutely need a
cigarette, I just tell myself this: "Okay, Jenny, a cigarette
sounds really good right now, and it seems like just one
wouldn't hurt. But you know that it wouldn't be just one and
that you're going to have to do this all over again if you don't
get it done now, and in another year the whole process will be
so much harder. Think of it this way: by quitting smoking now,
you are DRASTICALLY changing the course of your entire
future!!!!!!!!!"

Another thing that I like to tell myself is that quitting
smoking doesn't really require that much effort. Think about it:
if you start an exercise program, there are so many things that
you have to do. You have to get off the couch, get dressed in
workout clothes, go to the gym, and spend an hour and a half
sweating. But when you make a resolution to quit smoking, you
don't have to do anything. All you have to do is not do
something. You don't have to stand out in the rain, you don't
have to make midnight trips to the convenience store when you
don't feel like it, you don't have to feel self-conscious about
your smell in small places like elevators, you can look someone
in the face when you talk to them without fear that you have
horrible breath.... Just think of all the things that quitting
smoking frees you from having to do, and that cigarette will
seem a lot less attractive.

Just remember, by quitting now, you are changing your ENTIRE
life....You have the power to make your future look different.
You are free to add the years back onto your life. Exercise that
freedom. You can do it.

Jenny

+++

Janice <OceanGal69@aol.com> writes:

I know I'm pretty young, and haven't been alive as long as many
of you have been smoking, but I'm in the middle of a quitting
success story. I started smoking when I was in 6th grade (I'm in
11th grade now). I quit once for about half a year somewhere in
between then and now, but when my life became hectic, I just
didn't care about my health, cigarettes made me feel better!
Ever since then, which was in 1997, I've gone from smoking half
a pack a day of menthol, to two and a half packs a day of light
100s. I am involved in sports, and I realized that I was getting
winded, and I started to feel like I was disgusting every time I
lit up. I began to notice that all the happier, successful
adults I knew were nonsmokers. Guys I cared about were
complaining that I smoked way too much, and my mother was always
making me feel bad about, so I decided to rid myself of it. I
haven't been perfect ever since I quit, but I see a bright
future ahead of me. I did gain a little weight, but it will be
gone once my season starts up again. At first, I'd give in to my
cravings, but now I can control them better. I stop to smell the
smoking section and realize how disgusting they smell and
pathetic they look. Cigarettes will not control me! I am making
the choice now to live longer! I also bought myself new clothes
and things to remind myself that I have these as a reward for
quitting smoking, and I want to keep them smelling great. And
every day I don't smoke I write in my agenda YES I CAN! I have
complete faith that everyone on earth is capable of quitting
smoking, as long as they're willing to make the life changes to
compliment their smokefree decision. Good luck.. - Janice

+++

Mark Martino <marmar@mindspring.com> writes:
Subject: 10 Days!!! 1/20/99

After 25 yrs. of smoking, the last 10 heavily (3 pks/ day) I
have gone 10 days without a smoke. I went to my Dr. for help,
and was given a script for Zyban, and told to wear the patch,
tho I'm convinced now that I am sure I could've gone this far on
just my desire to quit. My cravings are minimal, and I feel
great! My advice to anyone who REALLY wants to quit, is to set a
quitting date, and QUIT at that time. I planned this for 6 mos.
and was well prepared to do it. You have to convince yourself
that you will smoke no more after that date, that you will be
free of the demon at that time. Remember all the pluses that you
taught yourself during the planning stage. I WILL NOT MAKE THE
TOBBACO CO.S RICH BY BUYING THEIR PRODUCT TO KILL MYSELF!! This
is what I say to myself when I get a craving. I will no longer
smell like an ashtray, is another. Or, Now I won't have to have
a voicebox in 10 yrs. if I continue to smoke (as I was told by
my doctor...). I wish you all luck in your endeavor, and my
address is below for anyone who needs a buddy. You CAN do it!!
You have to believe that you CAN... It sure is tough to lose an
old friend tho. I will miss that old friend, but with friends
like that.........

Mark
mailto:marmar@mindspring.com

+++

[Editor's Note: When people tell me they have quit smoking and
ask to be removed from this list, I ask them to tell me how they
quit. Here's just such an email.]

Ward J. Hollesen <wardh@goldrush.com> writes:

Sure I would be glad to share my method... It has been 2 months
on the 12th of January... I went to the cancer society class for
back up and used Zyban for one month.. and of course had to have
the desire to really want to quit...I went back to nursing
school late in life and of course that was one of my reasons for
wanting to quit... Ward
wardh@goldrush.com

====================

Where's your story? I'd sure like to share it with the other
subscribers to this email list. Mailto:fredk@quitsmoking.com

I hope to hear from you!

Next Issue: March 2, 1999

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You can find additional helpful quit smoking tips and
information at http://www.quitsmoking.com/quitinfo.htm

While you're there, take a look at our products page at
http://www.quitsmoking.com/products.htm for some helpful
quit smoking tools.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until next time, QUIT SMOKING, BUT DON'T STRUGGLE,

Fred Kelley

QuitSmoking.com
Phone: 770-346-9222
Fax: 770-475-5007
Web: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Email: mailto:fredk@quitsmoking.com

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© Copyright 1999 Fred H. Kelley
This email may be freely distributed and forwarded
as long as the entire email remains intact.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor or professional therapist.
The information included in this email is my opinion and the
opinions of the people sending in their comments.
Fred Kelley and QuitSmoking.com make no warranties,
either expressed or implied, about the truth or accuracy of the
contents of The Quit Smoking Report.

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