Smoke Without Guilt

What lies ahead may be offensive to some, labeled as preposterous by others, and yet may be a stark realization to many. So proceed further only if you are willing to consider other possibilities.

Everyone knows smoking is bad for your health, right?

But then again, haven't we all heard of someone who has been smoking for 50 years or so and is living or did live to the ripe old age of 90+?

If we use, "Smoking is bad for your health" as a blanket statement for all people, then how do these individuals survive for that long? Now some of you may be thinking that, "Yeah, but it finally caught up with them, and that's why they died." Well is 90 old enough? Who says we have to live that long? Or maybe that's not long enough. I'll let you debate that one.

This reminds me of a quote from Redd Foxx, "Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing."

Having worked with a lot of smokers, my stance on the matter has changed significantly. Anyone who has worked with smokers knows that the main issue is often the lack of congruence in the behavior.

A part of them wants to quit, and a part of them wants to keep smoking. Sometimes these parts are in the same person, and sometimes the opposing part is a spouse or partner, friend, or loved one. What I began discovering was that this incongruence is strengthened by our society and authority figures claiming it is bad and dangerous all the while the everyday stresses in our lives keep increasing.

And I bring this up because the number one reason people tell me they want to keep smoking is because it relaxes them. When they get stressed out, it's the fastest way they feel relaxed. Interesting how a stimulant could create a feeling of relaxation, huh?

So let's recap. Everybody is telling you to stop smoking. Heck, laws in some states are making it more and more difficult to maintain the habit. As are many companies with their new healthcare policies. Yet in a given day the cigarette break is one of the few times a smoker feels relaxed.

Let's even look at this closer. What do most people do when they take a smoke break?

They go out by themselves or with other smoker friends and chat and breathe deeper than they usually do. They also get to vent and get a bit of exercise. Perhaps, that is the cause of relaxation and it has just been associated with the smoking habit.

Okay fine. So we break the association. With NLP, EFT, and Hypnosis, that is quite easy. But we are still getting bombarded with anti-smoking campaigns that are quite convincing, but not convincing enough. Actually just enough to increase the incongruence.

And this incongruence is the real culprit.

My theory, and mind you, this is only my theory, that congruence in either behavior is the solution. Longtime smokers that are healthy aren't concerned with what smoking does to them or what anybody says about smoking. They are congruent smokers. They enjoy it. They don't judge others who do or don't smoke. Their language doesn't reflect doom and gloom about smoking. They don't make excuses about why they smoke. They have no fears, guilt, or anxiety about smoking, or feel obligated to stop on any account. They literally have a strong, healthy self-image as a smoker.

There you have it! You can either stop reading or see where this trail of thought will take you.

So if you are still reading, then right about now you may be wondering what can we do about this incongruence? Well it comes down to making a decision. You can be congruent either way. A congruent smoker or a congruent non-smoker.

The decision has to come first.

Then you have to clean up all the beliefs, values, ideals, judgments, and the self-image that supports either decision. And this is where you can either use the tools you may find on this site or seek the help of a professional.

The key thing you need to get out of this article is that if you're on the fence, then you're in the danger zone. That means you're waging an internal war, creating conflict and incongruence, which will be to your detriment.