El Bandito

Legal Disclaimer I would just like to clarify that my willie has not, is not, nor will ever be hiding in Bakon's cheeks. Thank you. Carry on.

Expect a: to hear some gutsy blues about the house b: new headwear

Damn! Too late. Peaky Blinders Peaky Blinders Peaky Blinders although - I haven't watched Breaking Bad. Maybe I should

NOPE

Morning Rob! How's the head? I think that you are most of the way there - but why do you think that you pressed the 'aww F u c k it' button last night? I am asking because understanding that very thing is what switched the lightbulb on for me. The sub conscious (SC) has been characterised in a million ways, each of them true to a certain extent. I have learned that MINE is a bit of a sceptic, cynic even. I suspect that this is something shared by most addicts. It goes like this: As a kid, I tried a cigarette. It was horrible. My body was revolted. But I persevered. Why? I persevered because my sub conscious saw all of the smokers, puffing away. Some of them were incredibly important role models. My parents for a start. Surely all of these people would not smoke if it was not pleasurable? My SC worked all of this out and came up with the solution. "You are revolted because you are a kid. You want to be grown up and cool. Smoking is grown up and cool (see all the evidence) therefore we are going to suppress all of our natural responses to poison - and push through" Years later, I quit. When not being a jovial fat guy in a kilt, I build businesses. Frankly, I am a bit of a ruthless SOB. If I decide that cigarettes are counter-productive, then I will not smoke them. So I didn't. I abstained. My SC knew that I was in the cool gang and enjoyed a smoke - but my conscious will imposed itself. SC had years and years of empirical evidence, and thousands of learned behaviours to back up its assertion that I was in fact "An abstaining Smoker". As I said, I can be a ruthless SOB. Job done. My will is iron. Things is, will power is finite. That is why people who diet, yoyo in weight. Eventually the SC works out a way to revert to learned behaviour. So, after a few drinks, at a party or whatever, the SC says things like "Lets take a night off quitting tonight. Let's be in the cool gang. tomorrow - back to quitting." What harm could it do? Obviously, the harm is that a night off can become a week, a month etc. Possibly - nights off might become regular things until there are more nights on than off. But here's the thing. The real damage is this; You confirm everything that your SC believes. You confirm that smoking is good, that it is cool and you like it. Sure, you can wake up in the morning and apply your willpower and abstain again. In fact you should. Smoking is s h i t. But the real task is to take on your SC. You need to teach your SC the truth about smoking. You need to teach it the lie. You need to minutely examine each trigger, each benefit, each perceived use of the cigarette - and PROVE them to be lies. This is where the battle is fought. Get your SC onside and you are in the world of 'Easy Peasy.' Your SC is a cynic. Saying "I don't smoke anymore" is not enough. Here is the test. When you can post here with your hand on heart, that if I could prove to you that you are a special case, and can smoke a pack a day for the rest of your life with no ill effects - that you would still not smoke. Then my friend, you have cracked it. There are plenty here reading this post saying "Yep" and there are plenty here reading it with a little gulp, not sure that they are there yet. It's true though. ;) You can absolutely do this Rob.

I played Rugby and drank Scotch. Kept spilling it so gave up the Rugby.

Classy Lady.

Nice work Sonic!

'Atta girl!

In other news, Italy beat Scotland at Rugby, Wales beat France. I played golf. Most of you don't know Rugby, but still understand more of my post than Porkies.

Fantastic work! Well done Chrys.

Good work Rooster!

Happy Birthday!

Nice work! Have a cider!

It is blue and black. Highly lit against a light coloured background there is an illusion that will make it appear white and gold to some...

Nah..can't be Lace. She was too scared to quit. :-) Great work Lace!

I used to get into a panic, hyper ventilate, the whole thing. Never helped. Sip something, breathe deep and relax. Just a crave like millions of others that we both beat...see the voice? Those opera singers were brilliant weren't they?

Rob. I get the whole, "I wanted to, so I did, so sorry'" approach. I get the 'I have smoked. I'm going to drink some more, smoke some more then quit tomorrow.' I get it. The quit was flowing really well. I think it might be important to really focus on the next smoke. To savour every second as you deeply pull that cancerous, choking, chemical laden byproduct of fire into your lungs. To fully appreciate the way that it tastes and makes you smell. Won't it be lovely to carry that smell home? You screwed up Rob. That's crap. I screwed up for 30 years, so I kind know what I am talking about. Strong people like you can abstain. I can't. Weak people like me work out that I need to understand that smoking never did anything for me, except make me want another. You screwed up. You know that. You came and posted here after, which is good. Making a commitment to come and pat BEFORE you smoke again, would be better. Make this a bump in the road Rob. An aberration quickly fixed. Don't let it become more than that. Put the cigarette out Rob. Please.

Don't battle. Just breathe. You don't smoke. Nice and easy. You have this Jackie. Ride the wave, it will pass.

NOPE

Great work. Congratulations!

Hey Leila. You quit. That was the hard bit. The rest? Easy. Stay close, shout, scream whinge, cry. 1 rule. Don't put things in your mouth and set fire to them. Welcome aboard ;)

What Ho!

Some people NEED the practice quit. Some don't. You have had yours now. You cannot crave what you do not want. Get into your head and sort that out. How can you crave something that you do not want? You are misinterpreting wants, desires, passing fancies as a need to smoke. You don't smoke. So craving a smoke is pointless. Stop it. You will do this MG. Great work!

Great post Rob.