Christine’s Foundation Statement
Looks good to me. Your statement is based on fact relating to your strong
desire to not poison your body.
Now, how about a quit list to reinforce your foundation statement?
work work work work
- Cat
5 Responses to “Christine’s Foundation Statement”
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March 8th, 2004 at 4:40 am
OK, here it is. It’s pretty long, but I assume it should be, as
there seem to be millions of reasons to quit.
- I’m 30 years old and short of breath when I run to catch a train,
and that’s pathetic.
- I look stupid and unapproachable when I smoke, and I especially
don’t want my neices and nephews to see me that way (and one day my
children).
- I’m sick of hiding this habit that embarasses me endlessly.
- I want to live as long as possible to enjoy my husband, friends,
and family.
- I want to be able to visit my in-laws without worrying about
sneaking smokes.
- I want to visit the doctor without fearing the lecture, or much
worse, fearing bad news about my health (likely due to smoking).
- I am horrified by the toxins in our environment and yet I
voluntarily ingested toxins every day of my life for 15 years.
- I don’t want to smell bad, have bad breath or stained fingers
anymore. (and I want to wear pale nail polish without the two ‘cig’
fingers on my right hand getting a yellowish tint from smoke within a
day of my manicure.
- I want to inspire my sisters and parents to quit, and the best way
to do so is to be succeessful myself.
- I don’t want to spend $35 a week on cigarettes anymore. Some
weeks, that was more than I spent on food, which is pathetic.
March 8th, 2004 at 12:02 pm
Hi Christine,
These are great. They’re excellent ‘reasons to quit’ and some may even
become excellent ‘reasons to be grateful you’re quit’. The thing to keep in
mind is that as soon as we quit, and as soon as some of those ‘reasons to
quit’ are being addressed, they lose most of their motivational power.
Which only means that ‘reasons to quit’ are very rarely ‘reasons to stay
quit’. Don’t expect a lot of milage out of them. Be ready to begin building
a list of ‘reasons you’re grateful’ to be quit.
Steve
www.cognitivequitting.com
March 8th, 2004 at 7:29 pm
Hi Steve…………
I have been pretty well insulated the last couple of weeks………
Jean
Hear what you are saying re the foundation statement - and think I have
mine in good order (as per post a few days ago)……….
but I really amd having a hard time re the A.B.C.’s……………
At this late date - almost 70 days into my quit - I am not aware of
getting any specific signals at all from my Nickodemon……..
He seems to have ceased suggesting I should be lighting up first thing
in the morning - and no longer seems to expect me to light up following
a meal. (however I freely admit I hardly ever quit eating!!!!)
I live alone
Do not have to go out to work
And the weather has precluded much wandering……….
So any stress I may have felt has been self-inflicted and I have done my
best to avoid any…….
However - I STILL have a feeling that something is going on in my
subconscious -
(I cannot remember the dream - but sometimes waken feeling that I have
had one - and that the dream consisted of me thoroughly enjoying smoking
half a package of cigarettes) ( or at least one!)
and sometimes a fleeting sensation passes through my
consciousness……….non-specific…………. unrelated to what I am
doing or thinking at the time as far as I can determine………but if I
stop whatever I am doing to question its cause…………I am somehow
aware that I still have a way to go as far as thinking I am out of
danger is concerned………the desire for tobacco has not completely
deserted me…………
But darned if I know how to turn any of this into ABC’s……
March 16th, 2004 at 8:22 am
Hi Steve and group - I didn’t want you to think I fell off the wagon -
I hit 1 month on Monday and I’m still going strong. I’m just very
very busy with work lately so any time I can get away from my
computer is cherished and spent outdoors or just away from the
screen, so I haven’t been keeping up here. The up side of being
especially busy is that I haven’t really thought about smoking. But
I know that doesn’t mean I can abandon these tools, so here is my
list of reasons to stay quit, let me know what you think. I plan on
printing it when final and placing it strategically throughout the
house (and handbag, car, office, etc). Thanks again to you all. -
christine
March 16th, 2004 at 10:59 pm
Agreed. First- be aware of which HALT condition exists, second- choose an
‘appropriate’ alternative, and then the urge will quickly pass. Here’s the
thing though, ‘appropriate’ means more than just a ‘non smoking
alternative’. Appropriate means a response that accurately addresses the
particular situation and therefore will be both realistic and effective .
i.e. If it’s hunger, than eating is the correct response. Fatigue, a rest
or break. Anger, some anger or stress management techniques. I may be
splitting a hair with this, but just ‘doing something else’ doesn’t teach
Warren a new response that will become a useful alternative in the future.
And while just ‘doing something else’ will often help us side step an urge
of the moment, it has no long term advantages. OK, I think I beat that
point to death.
Steve
Steve
www.cognitivequitting.com