Quit Quitting Smoking. Nelli Davydova

we perceive the world around us according to our beliefs and the truth in our heads.

      Since I don’t tend to write in a linear fashion, I might have completely confused and tired you out. The way I say things sometimes resembles «alien language». Nevertheless, I tried to make it clear. I hope it resonates. I would be very glad if you come to realize this someday. But you need this chapter to connect the dots and have a deeper understanding of your smoking-related beliefs. Let’s talk about them now.

      Quit Without Quitting

      It’s no joke. Quitting smoking is fraught with the danger of not being able to quit. Moreover, smoking is just a consequence. And the more you try to quit smoking, the fewer chances you have of becoming a non-smoker. Why? Because when you start to light a cigarette again, you lose your faith in giving it up for good.

      Numerous attempts to quit ended in a relapse. You started smoking again. That made neural connections become solid as a rock, and now they won’t let you destroy them that easily. You’ve lost hope of ever quitting.

      Even if you start to repeat it like a mantra now: «it’s possible, it’s possible,» even if you say it a thousand times, it will not work. You’ve formed a solid belief based on your knowledge and experience, that is always reinforced by reality. Convincing yourself by repeating words is not effective, because the connections in your brain won’t allow you to destroy them. They will fight back till the end.

      Think about it. Every time you slip, you assure yourself that it’s impossible to quit. And your belief will just keep getting more ingrained. Or you believe it’s difficult and this also becomes a thinking pattern.

      You probably think that you like smoking, that smoking relieves stress and that it helps you enjoy life. When you smoke, you have a broad smile on your face, and enjoy the moment. Yeah, you have a lot of these beliefs. In that case, your brain will project relevant reality in order to strengthen and confirm them as ultimate truth.

      Remember one paramount thing:

      It’s not reality that convinces us of the something, when you «saw and believed», no. First, we «decide» to believe. Only then does the brain build up confirmation in the real world so that we witness it and our thoughts «grow stronger». It’s one of the scientifically proven functions of the human brain.

      And now you have the opportunity to learn how it works, how beliefs are formed. You’re capable of changing your way of thinking. No rush, no struggle. Once you change your attitude towards smoking, your brain will create a new reality where you’re a happy non-smoker.