Did anyone else see Oprah today? Dr. Christine Northrup was talking about how illness is often your body's way of saying "Stop treating me like crap." (my paraphrase.)
Bare with me gentlemen, her advice applies to all smokers (even if we're using the pronoun she there's an broader message so read on).
Let's start with this truth: smoking is a profoundly unkind thing to do to one's self.
A Biblical truth about Dr. Northrup's mind, body and soul health approach that applies to smoking is that it's about Putting away childish things.
Being unkind to self is not going to work anymore.
Quitting smoking is about putting away childish things.
The hopeful thing about her message is that we can actually change the outcome of our health by treating ourselves kindly and actively seeking joy.
Dr. Northrup said she wants to give us permission, as a doctor, to do the things that bring us pleasure for our health.
She recommends diet and exercise as a kindness to our bodies, meditation and sex.
Quitting smoking is about changing coping mechanisms and I encourage you all to find a way to treat yourself kindly. Ask yourself - would I want this for my child? Let's face it, we inherently believe our children deserve kindness, but if we believed we deserved kindness we wouldn't have smoked.
Don't give up the meditation. Smokers meditate. What do you think all those smokes when making difficult decisions were about? Just because you don't smoke doesn't mean you give up the meditating. It might feel unnatural or weird to sit quietly alone and breathe for 2-3 minutes without a cigarette. But, you need those minutes to clear your mind and think things through. Take them. You deserve them and they are a kindness to your self.
We totally deserve this. I do and you do too.
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