In 2011 I quit smoking. I had smoked for more than 20 years with a week or two here and there where I attempted to stop. I would fail again and again.. and now I know why. All of the previous attempts to quit smoking were for the wrong reason(s).
I tried to quit smoking for several main reasons. I wanted to quit smoking for health reasons or I wanted to save money.
Neither worked and here’s why.
First, trying to stop smoking for my health did not work because I was never felt my health at risk while smoking. Everyone including myself knows what smoking does to the body and how harmful and poisonous it is. I had a smokers cough. I’d spit up phlegm. But smoking never landed me in the hospital. So quitting smoking for my health never worked because I was never afraid of losing my life due to it. Even though deep down I knew better.
Quitting smoking to save money never worked because I never knew how much money I was really spending on cigarettes. I never budgeted for cigarettes. I bought it by the pack and by the carton depending how much money I had on me at the time. I never figured in the cost of cigarettes in the monthly bills…I was a smoker and I needed cigarettes, plain and simple.
Why did I stop smoking? Spiritual reasons! Read on if you’re interested:)
I’ve been on my spiritual journey more intensely in the last 6 or so years than any other time in my life. I’ve been reading and learning from various teachers that came to me in the form of books, movies and physical people who I knew. I’ve learned a lot from nature.
Quitting smoking began with two teachers that came across my path at nearly the same time. One was Eckhart Tolle
What other teacher had said never fully clicked with me? The I AM Spirituality podcast did. So with Sean’s help, I began to understand the EGO on an individual basis and in the group mentality. Every day I had real examples of the EGO at work within myself and when interacting with others. Since learning this I have been fascinated by the workings of the EGO and its effects on the single being as well in society.
After having a better grasp of the Body Mind and Spirit model that Sean presents in the I AM Spirituality series I started to read The Power Of Now by Tolle. I realized early that I would not have the understanding of Tolles work if I had not first had Sean to teach me. I have much gratitude for having Sean to learn from before diving into The Power of Now. It made all the difference in the world for me.
The Power of Now has taught me more about myself and will continue to teach me more than any other work up until this point in my life.
The Power of Now is the reason I quit smoking. It’s taught me about living in the moment. It leads me to ask myself one question when I was about to light my cigarette. And that question was:
Do I want to poison myself at this moment?
Of course, I did not want to. That turned out to the cigarette I never lit and that moment is when I quit smoking. Of course, my body wanted that nicotine so I wore a nicotine patch for about 7 days. I look back and know that the patch was more for my body to adapt because my spirit had already made the choice to quit.
I quit smoking for spiritual reasons, by answering a simple question and I couldn’t be more joyful with the outcome. I sleep and feel SO much better. I look back at the smoker I was and I don’t recognize him. Amazing…simply amazing. So the title of this post, “I can’t smoke in the Now ” is true, if I live in the now…I’ll never smoke again.
Thank you, Sean and Eckhart!