Silent Devotion

Stop Yourself from Smoking

Counting the Days and the Ways to Quit Smoking

Smoking is a nasty habit that can be difficult to break. Quitting smoking might seem like the obvious choice, but many people are reluctant to quit because they are aware of the many withdrawal symptoms that go along with quitting smoking. However, what these people do not know about are the many ways to quit smoking. Such a wide assortment of options for kicking the gross habit makes it easier for people to quit smoking once and for all.

Feeling Sick

People are often discouraged from quitting smoking because, regardless of the many ways to quit smoking that exist, the withdrawal can be a very difficult process. Your body becomes physically addicted to the nicotine and cigarettes, and it becomes used to putting things in the mouth. Employing one of the ways to quit smoking eliminates both of these factors, thus causing withdrawal.

People who experience withdrawal might have many different symptoms, including: cigarette cravings, irritability, frustration or anger, tremors, decreased heart rate, fatigue, restlessness, depression, increased appetite, constipation or upset stomach, anxiety or nervousness, difficulty concentrating, headaches, insomnia, and increased coughing. These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after you first find a way to quit smoking.

Taking the Plunge

Though quitting smoking is difficult, it is important that you do so for your on health, and for the health of those around you. Today, there are many different ways you can quit smoking. One of the most common ways is medication of some sort. There are many nicotine and non-nicotine medications available, such as a nicotine patch, nicotine gum, and Varenicline.

If you do not wish to take medication, then there are other ways to quit smoking as well. Hypnosis, acupuncture, behavioral therapy, and nicotine vaccination are all alternatives to using medication in order to quit smoking.

Management Skills One you have found a successful way to quit smoking, then you will still have to manage the cravings that might occur in your daily life. This requires using psychological strategies. For example, remind yourself about why you decided to quit. Another idea is to keep busy, so you do not constantly think about smoking.

Other people find it helpful to brush their teeth or drink water when they experience a craving. The trick is finding the strategy that works best for you. Although quitting smoking is a very difficult task, once you have done it, you will have made a very big accomplishment that you and all of your loved ones can be proud of.

Becoming Connected to the Truth of Who You Are

It sounds really good that we desire to be totally connected - that we increase our spiritual might simply by giving all we have to Spirit. But that really scares a lot of people. They believe you have to go to a mountaintop somewhere, or escape into the wilderness in order to be that committed. But nothing could be further from the truth!

The truth is we are always connected, regardless of where we are or what we are doing. We cannot be not connected to Spirit! The issue is that we are not always grounded in that awareness of our connection ~ and that’s when we begin to feel a sense of separation. So to really increase our MIGHT, we must become so completely grounded in our awareness of our oneness with spirit that no outer appearance can throw us off balance. Then it becomes a way of being to live life full out!

A great analogy of this is the ocean and the wave. They are one, and cannot be separated, yet each wave is unique and individual. However, it is still a part of the ocean. You can take a pail and bring some of the ocean water home collect some of the ocean water to take home - and you know that even though it is separated, it’s still the ocean. But a wave can no longer do what waves are meant to do, unless it is where it’s destined to be in and of the ocean. Only as a part of the ocean can waves live life full out!

It is the same with us! We are in and of this daily life we have chosen to live. Our adventure is to allow our Divine nature to unfold as we live our life full out! When we have that solid grounding in our oneness, it becomes second nature for us to give our all to Spirit.

The challenge remains: How do we do that? There are three ways you may want to try. It is the “3-S Formula for Living Life Full Out!:

SILENCE:

You create a solid grounding in Spirit by spending time in the Silence. The connection strengthens even if you think nothing is happening.

It’s like going to Weight Watchers! You stick to the eating plan, and each week you go in and get weighed. You may not feel any lighter - but you discover you are a mere half a pound lighter! It is so minuscule you almost deny its value. But a few months of this, and all of a sudden you are able to wear a pair of jeans that were uncomfortably tight, and now, magically, they feel great! You didn’t comprehend what was actually happening, until you performed some kind of action that made it real.

Spending time in the Silence is sort of like that. What you are doing is putting your Intuitive Connection on Alert. You will notice that by spending time in the Silence, you start getting messages, insights, ideas, strength, wisdom, things you need. By giving time to Spirit, you gain a life of spiritual growth, inner peace, and pure joy.

SERVICE (Through SHARING):

Albert Schweitzer is quoted as saying, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

It’s interesting that all of us can give. Everyone has gifts, talents, opportunities to help others. We just need to be aware that there are some things an individual can’t do alone. Here’s something to consider - We’ve read that people are able to hold more weight in one hand than the other. In fact, we bet we can think of something you can hold in your right hand that you cannot hold in your left hand, regardless of how strong you are! Ready? Stretch out your left arm - and bend it. Next, place your left elbow in your right hand. Okay - you are now holding your left elbow in your right hand. Show us how you can hold your left elbow in your left hand!! See - there are some things we just cannot do on our own!

It’s amazing - whenever you are feeling particularly sorry for yourself, or going through a difficult time, one of the best remedies is to do something for someone else! It transforms your whole attitude!

There are lots of opportunities to serve: community projects; volunteering; visiting people in need or sick; delivering food to a family in need. A first grade class in Green Bay WI saved their chore money and bought 22 baby books for a hospital’s newborn intensive care unit. A group of nursing home residents hand sewed quilts, which they donated to a homeless shelter in Ohio.

Giving and receiving is a cycle, and we become a part of that cycle through giving. It doesn’t have to be money. (A friend of ours observed that it was much easier for her to tithe when she had a little money than when she got a windfall!)

By giving to Spirit through sharing, you claim a permanent spot in the cycle of giving and receiving!

SNACKS!

We know - this sounds weird! But give us an opportunity to explain! What do you think about with snacks? Feeding yourself, in delightful ways that bring you joy! The snacks we’re talking about in this formula are low calorie/high Consciousness ones. Snacks like making time to feed yourself spiritually, by consuming books, classes, retreats, labyrinth walks, or group discussions.

The neat part is, just like food snacks, spiritual snacks become addictive. You find that the more you snack, the more you desire! And the more you desire, the more you snack! And the more you snack, the stronger your grounding in Spirit, the stronger your awareness of NO separation! And that changes the way you THINK - the way you ACT - the way you live your life! When you hit life’s little problems - or the BIG ones - they just can’t throw you off center! You are grounded, and able to stand firm in Truth.

This week, make it an adventure to live life full out by give your whole self to Spirit! As you strengthen your grounding in Spirit, you’ll increase your spiritual might by practicing Silence sharing and spiritual snacking. Know that your time will reap millions in spiritual currency. Don’t settle for a penny less!