QUITTERS CAN BE WINNERS

I just finished reading an article about the major tobacco companies and their fight with the legal system.  It seems that for years they used unlawful and illegal methods to conceal the real dangers associated with the use of their tobacco products.  Their methods included lying to the public about their knowledge that the nictoine contained in their products was highly addictive.  The fact that  they managed the amount of nicotine in their products in order to keep their customers addicted and using their products.

Included in the article is information that they have confirmed to the legal system that they used deceptive practices in their presentation to the pubic the true dangers of tobacco use.  In one of their losing legal battles they were to be required make all of their knowledge concerning the dangers of tobacco use public information and disclose those dangers, in writing, on each of the packages of their products.

However, with the tobacco companies deep financial pockets and the slow movement of the legal system it appears that this battle could rage on for years and years.  In the meantime our youth and the people already addicted to nicotine are left to their own means of survival.

If you still smoke cigarettes you might want to take notice and quit using tobacco products on your own.  The legal and political systems can only do so much.  A successful quit smoking effort is achieved only by you!!  

I usually reserve the comments on this blog for the subject of tobacco use and improving life without that use.  So permit me to go off on different tangent for this post.

Last night I watched the final show of this season’s SURVIVOR.    And to tell you truth I was more than pleasantly pleased with the out come.  I must admit that I have become somewhat cynical about reality shows in general because of their tendency to reward bad behavior.  They appear to actually encourage participants to lie, cheat, and steal their way to the grand prize.  The jury, which was made up of fellow contestants that had been “sent home” by various means of underhanded, deceitful, dishonest acts on the part of one of the finalist, did not award him the grand prize for his lack of honesty and integrity.  Instead it was awarded to a more deserving and less deceiving contestant.  While the show, in the past, has rewarded bad behavior it would appear that the last group of contestants that formed the jury had too much integrity to allow this to continue to happen.

While I am applauding the jury’s decision I do have to give the “devil his due”.  The villainous eventual loser did have a talent for “playing the game” and finding hidden “idols”.  But his constant boasting and overpowering ego was his undoing.  Even in the final part of the award ceremony he maintained that he was the Ultimate Survivor and attempted to buy the title from the winner.  I believe and hope that he really is an honest and decent man in his every day dealings with his fellow human beings and that he got ”caught up in the game” and played the “villain” to the utmost degree. 

One of the jurors declared that “perceived reality is not necessary reality” which is contrary to the usual statement “perceived reality is reality” and in this case was true.  Just because his antics got him to the position of a finalist they did not warrant or earn him the grand prize.

Last night’s jury vote gave me a glimmer of hope for the future and re-instilled in me a faith in my fellow man.  It is my hope that it just may have sent out a small message to all Americans.  Through our own real life votes we can make a difference and change the out come.

Thanks for allowing me to rant.  Maybe I didn’t sway too far from my purpose for this blog.  Remember, changes in our own life can be made by ourselves and for ourselves. 

As the Christmas season gets nearer and nearer I am having trouble leaving  Thanksgiving.  Or maybe it is the approaching of another anniversary of my successful lung cancer surgery that is causing me to be so appreciative.   On December 19th of this year it will be 26 years since that fateful day.  I don’t view it as horrible even though the initial diagnosis of having lung cancer was devastating at the time.  After a day or so of anxiety I turned the burden over to God and He took care of the problem.  Through faith and a fantastic support system of competent doctors, a loving wife and family I survived.

As the days, weeks, months and finally years have passed by I have realized that it was a blessing in disguise.  The ordeal has made me a better husband, father and person in many ways.

I only wish that my story about my nicotine addiction that is shared freely at www.quitterscanbewinners.com could persuade others not to make that “choice” of trying that first cigarette.  Or perhaps the ebook that I am offering FREE at http://simply-be-tobacco-free.com would help those already addicted break the habit.

Yes I have been fortunate and blessed.   This song should be the favorite of all former smokers, it certainly is mine.

http://tinyurl.com/ya7f36m

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I hope everyone had a happy, safe  holiday.  Today I am going to mention another alternative to quitting smoking that has had a lot of interest and, from what I have heard, a fairly good success rate.  I have  met a few people that have beaten nicotine addiction with this method.  My personal favorite quit smoking method is “cold turkey”(also my favorite meat) but that is another story.  After years of trying to convince folks to use that method I have come to realize that not everyone can quit smoking by going “cold turkey”.

Hypnosis, like other quit smoking aids, can be a successful method of quitting smoking if one has a true desire to quit and is determined to beat the addiciton.  It can be more beneficial to the person wanting to break their nicotine addiction because it does not use nicotine as a replacement for tobacco use.  If you are interested in giving the hypnosis method a try I say “go for it”.  Whatever method that works for you, use it.

 Today is the annual great American Smokeout Day.  The day that many people are encouraged to quit smoking for at least one day.  It is a chance to test a smokers will power and determination in giving up the deadly addiction.  Theoretically,  if a person can refrain from smoking for one complete day (24 hours) they have a good chance of quitting for good.   That is a great start on getting the nicotine out of one’s system.  In order to make the attempt to quit even better would be a three day smoke out.  That way all of the nicotine is depleted from one’s system and then all that they have to contend with is the occassional craving brought on by trigger situations.  These trigger situations can be habits of having a cigarette at certain times of the day or during certain activities such as after eating, drinking, or while driving. 

The Smokeout Day is a great way to bring  attention to the public the importance of making a effort to quit smoking.  For more information on this subject Click here

Breath and the act of breathing is generally underrated in the grand scheme of life.  It is usually only when one’s breath is limited to the point of pain or anxiety that they take steps to improve its function.  In my case it was the diagnosis of lung cancer.  Numerous times and long before my diagnosis I had been stricken with bouts of bronchitis and shortness of breath, due to my smoking addiction.  But the actual words “you have lung cancer” have a definite effect on your entire being.

Having lung cancer can be a devastating disease.  I was lucky and blessed with a great doctor and a fantastic support system in my wife and family.   Everything that I went through during that period of my life was a learning experience and breathing was not only essential to living but also in living better.  One of the instruments used in my recuperating process was a Spirometer.  A spirometer is an apparatus that measures the volume of air that the lungs (in my case lung) inspire and expire.   Use of the spirometer was prescribed at least three times a day.  Three times a day was not enough for me.  Since the device was setting next to my bed and later on my night stand I would do the exercise as often as I desired.  My feelings were if three times was good the more I used it the better.  The extra effort paid off.   On one of my annual checkups the doctor informed that my one lung had the capacity of 55%.  I didn’t think that was a very good number until he told me that most people with two working lungs seldom reached 35% capacity for both lungs.

Do not take your breath and breathing for granted.  As in most things it is only when we almost lose it that we appreciate it the most.  One of my tips in quitting smoking is to take deep, long breaths and hold them for as long as you can.  It not only builds up lung capacity but it has a calming effect on you.

For more tips on quitting smoking and improving your breathing click here