Excuses?

I recently read A CONVERSATION WITH WAYNE DYER By Ellen Mahoney, it had some interesting things to say to anyone who is trying to change something in their life. He said the following about excuses, "Excuses are the explanations we use for hanging on to behavior we don't like about ourselves; they are self-defeating behaviors we don't know how to change." When I read this definition I was struck with the last part especially, the "self defeating behaviors we don't know how to change". I believe we are sometimes our own worse enemy in that when we don't know how to do something, or have tried and felt it did didn't work we feel defeated and don't try again. What we don't realize is by learning about what didn't work and in what circumstance it didn't work we learn more about what will work. It takes what we have learned by a quit attempt to make us successful in quitting.

He continues to say, "We get conditioned to believe in our limitations and what's not possible. People who have had self-defeating behaviors, (such as longtime addictions) actually believe there is no other alternative." I ask all who feel it is impossible to quit, to think about this statement. Is it easier to believe in our limitations and what seems impossible than learning about when, and why you use tobacco, studying your tobacco use and gradually step by step learning how you can quit. Wayne Dyer further said that, "we hang on to self-defeating behaviors because it's easier not to take responsibility. Usually, making excuses is just something we can get away with, rather than challenging or changing ourselves. If you want to change and you want your life to work at a level you've never had before, then take responsibility for it."

What an encouraging statement. It can really help to make a study of ones own tobacco use, learn about it so you can learn how to quit. To deal with the physical addiction it really helps to use one of the medications available which help people quit. If you have tried a product and you don't believe it worked, study why, so you can learn about why it didn't. Perhaps it was because the instructions weren't followed carefully. Thinking about the product in this way might lead you to trying it again because you can follow up on personal behaviors that will make using it work better or might lead you to try another one of the nicotine replacement products, or one of the medications that fits your life style better.

Reflecting on your personal use of tobacco can help in another way too, there are social and behavioral reasons people smoke and by studying your own use you can change your behavior so that it is easier to quit. By looking at when you smoke, you can try changing what you do at that time. Not going out for a smoke break with other smokers is one thing that comes to mind. Another change that helps many people is not lingering at the dinner table after supper but getting up to take a walk instead. Sometimes people smoke when faced with a stressful situation. Learning some breathing techniques to use when faced with stress, or giving oneself a break away from the situation, by reading or taking a walk are other options. (Look back on older blogs entries for more ideas) All of these are examples of changing behavior which will support a quit attempt.

The article ended with this quote from Wayne Dyer, "I BELIEVE IF YOU CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT THINGS, THE THINGS YOU LOOK AT CHANGE." I challenge us all to change the way we look at things, especially personal tobacco use. I know that with introspection and study of when and why you use tobacco, and utilizing the help of a tobacco treatment medication which is right for you, that you will be able to quit!

(speak to your physician about what medication or nicotine replacement product is best for you, remembering that if you are nursing or pregnant the FDA hasn't approved of these products)