Well, you're on your way. Don't worry if you got off to a shaky start; things will get easier as you go along.

Today, your task will be to look at the positive side of quitting smoking. Do as many of the "Urge Tamers" as possible and be sure to try "Creative Imagination". The section on "Thinking Differently" should help you with your daily problems. By tomorrow, you'll be well on your way to becoming an ex-smoker.

Many times you feel that you want to smoke a cigarette when what you really want is something else. You have made a habit of linking cigarettes to your feelings: anger, sadness, boredom, happiness, and frustration. These feelings are brought on by events in your life: a quarrel, a flat tire, a tired child or a work deadline.

Cigarettes do not clear up or change these feelings. If nothing else, they simply create a "smoke screen." When the smoke clears, your problems are still there.

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Shakespeare

"Men are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them." Epictetus

The point of these quotes is that it is not an event itself, but what you tell yourself about it that will determine your feelings.

Let's pretend you got stuck in a traffic jam on the way to work today. You feel angry and upset. But it is not the traffic jam that makes you upset. It is what you tell yourself that upsets you: "I'm going to be late for work." "I have so much to do." "This is such a waste of time."

You cannot change the fact that you are stuck in traffic. Getting angry serves no purpose. If you can look at the delay as a minor problem that you can't control, rather than a major event, you will feel much better.

Your outlook about quitting smoking is also very important. If you tell yourself that quitting will be awful, chances are the process will be as bad as you think. If you accept the fact that you will have urges, but nothing you can't handle, you will have an easier time quitting.

You are able to change how you think, feel and react to any event. The ABCDE model presented can help you do this.

Until now, your attempts at quitting smoking may have only used half the model, ABC. Today you will learn how to dispute negative feelings. Follow this model. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones and you'll feel better.

1. ACTIVATING EVENT - An event that triggers thoughts and feelings. Example - "I am trying to quit smoking and this event is making me anxious."

2. BELIEF - What you think or say to yourself about the activating event. Examples - "I just can't quit." "Cigarettes are my best friends." "I don't have any willpower."

3. CONSEQUENCE - How you feel in response to your beliefs.Examples - "I feel depressed about my past efforts at quitting." "I feel worthless and defeated." "I feel anxious."

4. DISPUTE - Question your earlier beliefs.Examples - "Wait a minute here, I can quit!" "If cigarettes are my best friends, why are they ruining my health?" "I don't need willpower to quit smoking, I need to apply the skills that I am learning in Smokeless."

5. EFFECT - How you feel after you dispute your earlier beliefs.Examples - "I can succeed." "I feel good about myself." "Although I am still nervous about quitting, I can handle it."

Dr. Albert Ellis, a well-known psychologist, has singled out some unhelpful beliefs that you might have. Holding onto these beliefs can be self-defeating.

Below each self-defeating belief is a reason why it is irrational.

1. The belief that one should always do well at everything.
   Failures, mistakes and problems are going to occur in everyone's life. Having a problem does not mean that all is lost. Success requires courage to return to the task at hand. Quitting smoking often requires courage.

2. The belief that it is awful when things are not the way one would very much like them to be.
   Events in life are often very hard to handle. Quitting smoking is very hard to handle. But, problems that you are having now are going to be short-lived

3. The belief that feeling unhappy results only from outside events and that we have no control over these feelings.
   Our feelings are based on our thoughts. We are able to feel better by viewing the world in a more positive way. Look at the positives that result from quitting smoking, instead of the negative way you feel right now. You will end up feeling happier.

4. The idea that past history decides the present.
   The past does affect the present, but new behaviors can be learned. And, each quitting attempt increases the chance of success.

1. Now Awareness. This Urge Tamer is used to rid yourself of thoughts about smoking. When a smoking thought comes to mind, distract yourself by saying out loud or silently: "Now I am aware of _____________." and finish the sentence by naming any objects that you can see. For example, if you were sitting in your kitchen, you might say: "Now I am aware of the stove"; "Now I am aware of the clock" "Now I am aware of the table"; "Now I am aware of the sink", etc. Keep this up until your urge passes.

2. Thought Stopping. This Urge Tamer helps you stop cigarette thoughts or other negative thoughts. When the thoughts occur, yell the word "Stop!" as loud as you can. This will "startle" the thought away. Then, snap your urge zapper, punch your palm or stamp your feet.
   There is also a silent "Thought Stopping" for those times you can not yell. You imagine yelling "Stop!!!" while picturing the word in large letters, a flashing red light, or a stop sign.

3. Thought Zapper By linking your thoughts about cigarettes or any other negative thought with an unpleasant event, we can learn to get rid of the thoughts.
   
   1. Place urge zapper around your wrist.
   2. Become aware of a negative thought.
   3. Give yourself a zap
   4. Repeat as needed.

Creative Imagination is the acting out of an event or activity in your mind before it really happens. It allows you to work through the event or activity ahead of time so that you will be better prepared to deal with it.

Many athletes practice an upcoming game in their heads before stepping onto the playing field. A study was done to compare " Creative Imagination" to actual practice with a group of basketball players. Three groups of students were used.

Group 1 - Practiced making free throws everyday for 20 days.

Group 2 - Threw the ball on the 1st and the 20th day, but did not practice in between

Group 3 - Improved their scores by 23% by using "Creative Imagination!"

2 times a day for 5 minutes (the best time being when you're drowsy; when you first wake up and just before you are about to go to sleep.) Let all of the muscles in your body relax. Then let your mind relax and picture yourself as a non-smoker. Now, as if you were watching a movie in your mind, picture yourself doing activities where you used to smoke, only now there are no cigarettes. Use all of your senses - sight, smell, taste, sound and touch to make these pictures as detailed as you can.

You can also imagine the rewards you will gain as a non-smoker. See yourself feeling good, happy and free as a non-smoker.

You will soon see that you will have a new image in your mind. After enough practice, you will start thinking and acting like a non-smoker. Start today - you'll soon see the change.