The Quit Smoking Report Ezine

The Quit Smoking Report 05/18/99

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: One Step at a Time
<> Article: Use "The Force" to Quit Smoking
<> 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/

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Hello again everyone!

As I mentioned in my last email to you, we are adding a new
"quit smoking" email service. Now you can get a FREE email
address in this format:

yourname@i-quit-smoking.com

You'll send and retrieve your emails from any web browser,
anywhere that you have Internet access. Your email address will
help you to make a statement about quitting. Tell yourself and
tell the world that you quit (or are planning to quit) every
time you send email.

Plus, even if you change your Internet Service Provider (ISP),
your email address at i-quit-smoking.com will remain the same.
You won't lose any email, and your friends and family won't have
to update their address book.

Again, the service is FREE for life, so get your email address
before somebody grabs the name you want!

Visit http://www.i-quit-smoking.com right now to get your FREE
account.

+++

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

Fred Kelley
fredk@quitsmoking.com
QuitSmoking.com

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

FEATURED PRODUCT: One Step at a Time
http://www.quitsmoking.com/onestep.htm

One Step at a Time is a set of four filters that allow you to
gradually reduce the amount of tar and nicotine you take in when
you puff on your cigarettes.

When you smoke, simply place your cigarette into the filter. The
filter is very small and will not be very noticeable as you
smoke.

The first filter reduces up to 25% of the tar and nicotine. Use
it for one to two weeks. Your body will begin adjusting to the
lower levels of addictive chemicals. Next, begin using the
second filter. It reduces up to 50% of the tar and nicotine in
your cigarettes. After one to two weeks, use the third filter.
It reduces up to 70% of the tar and nicotine. Finally, use the
fourth filter. It reduces your tar and nicotine intake by up to
90%.

The final step for you is to quit smoking completely. By
gradually reducing the addictive chemicals in your cigarettes,
you may find that quitting becomes a whole lot easier.

You can see and purchase the One Step at a Time filters on our
web site. Go to http://www.quitsmoking.com/onestep.htm for
more information.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

ARTICLE: Use "The Force" to Quit Smoking

by Fred H. Kelley

Tomorrow (May 19th) has reached near "holiday" status here in
the U.S., thanks to George Lucas. Yes, tomorrow is the U.S.
opening of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I've got my
tickets for opening night!

If you aren't familiar with the Star Wars movie series
(http://www.starwars.com) you probably live on another planet.
I've been a Star Wars nut ever since I saw the first movie in
1977 at the age of 9. I was blown away by the incredible special
effects and story. The mythical story paints a clear picture of
the battle of good versus evil, and touches people on many
levels. Perhaps that explains at least part of the movie's
popularity: Star Wars reflects the emotion and the fear and the
excitement and the good and the evil inside each of us.

The Star Wars movies follow the Jedi Knights who possess amazing
powers provided by "The Force". Ben Kenobi, one of the Jedi,
tells Luke Skywalker what The Force is: "The Force is what gives
a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living
things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy
together." Ben goes on to tell Luke, "You must learn the ways of
The Force..."

The wisdom of the Jedi and The Force found in the first three
Star Wars movies can help you quit smoking if you'll apply that
wisdom. You must learn the ways of The Force to quit smoking.

Ben taught Luke about The Force in the first movie, Star Wars.
He tells Luke, "A Jedi can feel The Force flowing through him."
Luke asks, "You mean it controls your actions?" Ben explains,
"Partially. But it also obeys your commands."

The Force will obey your commands to "quit smoking." You are not
destined to smoke for the rest of your life. You DO have control
over your own destiny and the actions that you take. Use The
Force now to take charge of whether or not you smoke or quit.

In the second movie, The Empire Strikes Back, Luke travels to a
remote planet to receive training from Yoda, a Jedi master.
During the course of Luke's training, Yoda provides many nuggets
of wisdom that can help you become a non-smoking Jedi.

"A Jedi must have the deepest commitment. The most serious
mind," Yoda tells Luke. The same holds true for you if you want
to quit smoking. You must commit yourself fully to the task of
quitting. You can't quit halfway. If you plan to quit, you must
quit completely. Get serious about your commitment to quit.

Later, Yoda tells Luke "A Jedi's strength flows from The Force,
but beware of the dark side." The dark side of The Force is the
evil side of The Force. In many ways you might think of the dark
side as your smoking addiction, or the cigarettes you smoke, or
even the cigarette companies.

Luke asks Yoda, "Is the dark side stronger?"

"No," Yoda responds. "No. Quicker, easier, more seductive." Wow!
Doesn't that just about sum up smoking? It's much easier to
continue smoking rather than to quit, so seductive is the habit.
No one said becoming a smoke-free Jedi would be easy!

Luke then asks Yoda, "But how am I to know the good side from
the bad?" Yoda answers, "You will know when you are calm, at
peace, passive."

A great way to begin beating your smoking habit it to practice
relaxation techniques. If you find yourself giving in to your
cravings when you are stressed, you are turning to the dark
side! Relax! Breathe deeply. Clear your mind and sit quietly.
Learn to control your stress with your mind, not with
cigarettes.

One day, after Luke learns to move and float rocks using The
Force, his X-Wing fighter spaceship sinks into the swamp near
Yoda's home. Luke exclaims, "We'll never get it out now."

Disappointed, Yoda says to Luke, "So certain are you. Always
with you what cannot be done."

Luke replies, "Master, moving stones around is one thing. But
this is totally different."

Somewhat disgusted by now, Yoda shouts "No! No different. Only
different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."

Half-heartedly, Luke says "Alright, I'll give it a try."

"No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is not try," Yoda tells Luke.

How many times have you said I'll TRY to quit smoking, knowing
full well that you don't really believe you can quit and don't
really plan to quit? You must understand that quitting is not a
game. Quitting is real life. If you are going to quit--QUIT!
Don't just try. QUIT! If you stumble and start smoking again
after quitting then quit again until you quit forever. Quit, or
quit not. There is not try.

After Luke "tries" and fails to levitate his X-Wing out of the
swamp, he tells Yoda "I can't. It's too big."

Yoda then gives Luke another lesson. "Size matters not. Look at
me. Judge me by my size, do you? [Yoda is barely two feet tall].
And well you should not. For my ally is The Force, and a
powerful ally it is."

The Force is a metaphor for God or religion or faith. Countless
smokers have told me how their faith in God has helped them to
quit smoking. By placing your faith in a higher power, you allow
the infinite power of the universe (whatever you consider that
to be--I'm not trying to advocate any particular religion here)
to help you quit smoking. You remove the total burden from
yourself. You'll gain strength from asking God to help you quit.
You can move mountains with the help of your faith and prayer.

Luke didn't have the faith he needed to get his X-Wing out of
the swamp. "You want the impossible," he tells Yoda.

Moments later, Yoda effortlessly raises the X-Wing out of the
swamp and over to the side. In disbelief, Luke says, "I don't
believe it!"

"That is why you fail," Yoda tells him.

Belief is absolutely critical to your success. Studies show that
believing that you have the ability to quit is one of the most
important indicators of future success. If you believe you have
the ability to quit and believe that you will quit, you are much
more likely to quit than someone who has no faith in themselves.
Believe, and be free of cigarettes!

Later in the movie, Luke sees a vision of his friends, in which
their lives are in danger. Luke feels that he needs to cut short
his training and go to their aid. Yoda and Ben both encourage
Luke to stay and continue with the training, fearing he will be
at risk unless he completes his training.

Luke tries to assure them that he is ready. "I feel The Force,"
he tells them.

"But you cannot control it. This is a dangerous time for you,
when you will be tempted by the dark side of The Force," Ben
warns.

Similarly, when you are in the process of quitting, you must
constantly guard against the dark side of temptation. Don't get
sucked in by the notion that you can have "just one" cigarette.
Remember, as Yoda says, "Once you start down the dark path,
forever will it dominate your destiny." As time goes by, you
will learn how to deal with your cravings and how to handle
stress, without smoking. But it takes time. If you smoke just
one cigarette, expecting to be able to control your urges,
you're in for a real surprise. Just one puff can put you back at
a pack-a-day habit in no time.

Luke finally leaves Ben and Yoda and goes to help his friends.
He ends up fighting Darth Vader, a Jedi Knight who has turned to
the dark side of The Force. Vader's plan is to turn Luke to the
dark side and utilize his powers to further his own evil plans.
"Join me and together we can rule the galaxy," Vader tempts
Luke.

Cigarettes tempt you with inflated claims of looking cool,
feeling relaxed and fulfilled. Unfortunately, cigarettes have an
ominous dark side. Do I have to spell it out? You know
cigarettes cause numerous health problems, cost a lot, and make
you smell bad. Make sure you evaluate the temptation for what it
really is: the desire for self-destruction.

If only our lives were as simple as buying a movie ticket! Good
things in life take effort and work. Apply the lessons here to
your own quit smoking program and I think you'll find you can
make some of your own special effects!

May The Force be with you!

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

A Word From Our Sponsor:

IT'S TRUE! If you start the all natural, 4-formula Smoke-Away
smoker's support program today, by this time next week, you
could be a non-smoker for good! Quit without the cravings.

Read this satisfied user's letter: "Thank you Smoke-Away! It is
amazing, after 20 years of smoking, I am an ex-smoker! After the
first day of using the Smoke-Away program, I knew that I would
never light up again. Not just for my own health, but for my
daughter, Marisa, as well. Thanks again." -Ms. Mona Gammill

Get full details at our web site.
http://www.QuitSmokingIn7Days.com

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

SMOKERS' STORIES

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

Haydn Jones <haydn.j@virgin.net> writes:

I have read with interest the above report, [in a previous issue
of The Quit Smoking Report]
BUT!!! Why can't I quit?

Last year I didn't smoke at all, It lasted eleven months. When I
go out with the family, I don't need a smoke, but when I get to
work, or back to my home, out comes the packet. I only smoke
between 9 and 12 a day on average, sometimes even less, but I
just can't quit altogether.

At home, my daughter suffers from asthma, so I don't smoke
inside the house when she is home, at work (I'm a pen pusher),
smoking is banned inside the building, so I have set time (not
very strict) when I can go for a smoke, and if I'm busy, I can
go as long as required before a smoke break. But I still have to
go for one.

Last year we went to the US (I live in Wales, U.K.), for our
holidays (two Glorious weeks). Didn't have or want a smoke. Got
home, bought a packet, and light up straight away.

End of Eleven Months without a cigarette. Can't even think why I
bought them.

Anyway, I shall endeavour, once again to quit. I've set a target
of Last Monday of May for the Last cigarette.

I'll let you know how I get on, and also keep reading your
newsletter with interest, even if I quit.

Haydn

+++

Kathy Medved <medved@buffalo.edu> writes:
Subject: great way to stop!

Hi, I am 43 years old and have smoked since I was 18. I am
married to a non-smoker who wished I would quit but supported my
right to smoke.

A few days before Valentine's Day this year, I had some trouble
taking a deep breath. The feeling continued through the next
couple of days, and I began to be frightened that I had
contracted a terrible disease. I put the cigarettes down and
made an appointment to see my doctor. He suspected that I had
indeed caused some permanent damage, and a breathing test using
a spirometer confirmed it. I have early stage emphysema!

Emphysema is not curable. It is possible, however, to arrest the
disease and stop its progression - as long as I never smoke
again. Needless to say, I am a non-smoker now. I did not suffer
any withdrawal and have no urge to go back to smoking. Faced
with a choice of life or death, I made the only decision a
rational person could make. I quit.

If you are still smoking and need some extra urging to quit, go
see your doctor and ask if he/she can run a spirometer test for
you. It's painless and involves breathing out HARD into a
machine which measures how much air you are able to exhale in 1
second. If you have any damage, the spirometer will measure it.

You know, only 10% of smokers ever develop disease from smoking.
And you know how you are always thinking, "It won't happen to
me"? Think again.

Kathy

+++

Allyn Keefer <sunflower@ctel.net> writes:
Subject: I've QUIT

Hi,
I have been receiving your news letter for a few months now. I
enjoy it very much. I have quit about eight months and still
crave a cigarette, your newsletter comes in my e-mail just at
the right time. I am 32yrs old and probably smoked for 10 yrs. I
didn't start until I was twenty and tried to quit a couple of
times before. Now I tell myself, that its been this long of not
having a cigarette and I would be crazy to start up again. I am
around family that do smoke and those r the times when I would
just want to light one up and join them.

My husband and I moved into a non smoking house. Its shared by
his mother who live on one side and we live on the other .My
Husband still smokes, but cant smoke inside so he goes outside
now in the cold, snow, and rain and I stay inside where its
warm. He comes in afterwards, and boy for at least 20 minutes I
can smell him just as he is coming through the door. He hasn't
been smoking much since we've moved here though.

A pack of cigarettes for him last for three days, and he is
doing well. The smokers will say to me guess Ill have a cig, oh
I know there bad for me .Oh well I don't know what else I could
spend my money on. I don't go anywhere to have fun so why not
smoke and they will look at me funny when I don't have one or
I'll say you know its very hard to this day watching all of you
smoke and I am the one who is smoke free. That I am trying my
damnest to quit forever but I have to take it one day at a time
and all I have to do is smell you all and my craving disappears
instantly. So for everyone out there just keep on trying you can
do it . Sunflower@ctel.net .
Thanks Fred for your newsletter !!!
keep on smiling!! :)

+++

Barbara A Scott <Barbara_A_Scott@NEWYORKLIFE.COM> writes:

I am quitting smoking for the second time...the first time was
in October, 1998, and I was "successful" for four months. I
smoked for 25 years, was a 1.5 pack per day smoker, and the most
addicted person I know. I have made half-hearted attempts to
quit before, but this time I was serious. I knew that I could no
longer continue to smoke and pretend that my long term health
would not be affected.

I started out using the patch and followed the complete program
to the letter with one minor exception, when I went to Step 3,
the 7 mg. patch, each day I would put the patch on in the
morning, take it off at night (I had previously worn the patch
through the night despite the wild dreams it caused because I
was so fearful of waking up craving a cigarette when my defenses
were down.) Each day I waited a little longer to put the patch
on. After about a week I noticed that I wasn't reaching for the
patch until after noon. That was when I knew that I could live
without it all together. I faced my first day without the patch
cautiously and was delighted to find that I didn't miss it at
all! (Each step down on the patch program is a plateau that
brings renewed tension as a result of nicotine withdrawal, but
it is not anything you can't get through within a few days.)

A few weeks into quitting, I added aromatherapy to my program,
unconsciously at first. Once my sense of smell had returned
(yes, it really does!) I began to notice how wonderful I smelled
throughout the day. I used fragrant shower gels and after bath
sprays that stayed with me all day long. I started using Downy
liquid in my washing machine - it smells so great when you put
on fresh, clean clothes. I began to notice how bad smokers smell
- it is really disgusting. I even hated to walk past smokers
because I didn't want to pick up the odor in my hair and spoil
my "good" odor for the day. My house smelled cleaner, my car
smelled cleaner, my clothes smelled cleaner, even my kids and
the dog smelled cleaner!

After three months as a non-smoker, my confidence became too
strong. I am certain that my mind and body were in cahoots to
get me to smoke again, but was unaware of what was happening.
Then, tragedy struck and a stressful event happened in my life.
That was all my mind and body needed as an excuse to do the
unthinkable. I started smoking again. My first cigarette tasted
terrible, made me dizzy and sick to my stomach, and holy cow did
it ever smell bad. That didn't stop me though, I slowly worked
my way back over the period of a few weeks, and before I knew it
I was right back at it. That was about five weeks ago.

I kept trying to recapture the desire to smell those clean
smells again, and was disappointed to find that the aromatherapy
wasn't working anymore. I bought more patches, they didn't work.
What was I going to do? Suddenly the other day it occurred to
me...the reason aromatherapy wasn't working this time around was
because in a very short period of time I had once again
destroyed my sense of smell! With that knowledge, I once again
became totally motivated. I am only on day two of the patch, and
though I am angry with myself for putting myself back into this
position, I am also totally convinced that I will be successful
again, hopefully this time for good.

In the meantime, my house stinks again, my car stinks again, my
clothes stink again, and I'm going to have to clean it all up,
but I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to it.

I hope that someone out there will read this and pick up on the
idea of using aromatherapy.

I have to say that although I waited to "feel wonderful" when I
first quit, I didn't really notice any obvious physical benefits
to not smoking other than my renewed sense of smell and taste.
That is, not until I started smoking again. Within 3 to 4 days I
began to notice that I was clearing my throat often, my sinuses
became a noticeable mess, I got headaches frequently, I started
breathing harder toward the end of the day, and I could feel my
heart beating in my chest. All of those symptoms had disappeared
when I quit smoking the first time, and I didn't really notice
it, probably because I was so absorbed in the process of
quitting itself. I now have a fresh and realistic perspective on
the physical affects of smoking, and I am looking forward to
spending the rest of my life as a non-smoker, this time one day
at a time. I know now that I will forever be just one cigarette
away from being a smoker again.

Wish me luck!

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

Where's your story? I'd sure like to share it with the other
subscribers to this email list. Submit Your Smoker's Story
I hope to hear from you!

Next Issue: 06/01/99

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

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.

Read and post messages: http://www.quitsmoking.com/bbs.htm
Quit Smoking Cartoons: http://www.quitsmoking.com/cartoons/
Quit Smoking Chat: http://www.QuitSmokingChat.htm

The QuitSmoking.com web site is a part of the growing
Prosperous Internet family of web sites. Visit
http://www.ProsperousInternet.com for information on starting
your own Internet business.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until next time, THE FORCE WILL BE WITH YOU--ALWAYS,

Fred Kelley

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

To have your email address REMOVED from our list
CLICK HERE TO REMOVE

To have your email address ADDED to our list
CLICK HERE TO ADD

© 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.

<--Back to the List of Previous Ezine Issues

Add Us to Your Desktop

Affiliate Program

Site Design & Creation by Prosperous Internet
Get Internet Web Marketing Help

Shopping Volcano