It really is true. It is not just about quitting smoking. It is really about developing a healthy mind-set, and from that, develop a healthy life in general. Good health is a way of life.

I believe that most of the people who do not succeed at quitting smoking find themselves stuck with it because the only change they really try to make is the stopping of the smoking behavior itself. Everything else remains the same. There life doesn't really change. But when the goal becomes "being a healthy person", then "everything" changes. Smoking is only a symptom of an unhealthy life or unhealthy way of thinking and believing. When a person takes an interest in creating a healthy "life", every aspect of life becomes reconsidered and reevaluated.

Let me give you an example; one that applies to my life. A few years ago, in my early 50's, the people in my inner circle who were within my age group were dropping off like flies. Mostly from cancer. One had a heart attack but survived and is now partially disabled. Why should this interest someone who wants to quit smoking? I am not sharing this to tell you that smoking can make you sick. You already know that and there are plenty of people in your life to graciously point this out to you. You don't need one more people-fixer to straighten you out and cause you to get frustrated, angry and develop the desire to smoke even more just to spite them. I am sharing about those people who got sick for the purpose of telling you what motivated me to make a change while I still had my health.

The key point here is that I decided it was time to develop a healthy "life" in order to maintain my current condition while it was still good. I realized that I was paddling down a river that had a waterfall ahead and I did not want to fall over it. I decided to get out of that river and get into another one that was more safe. So for me, I did not want to get cancer or some other major physical breakdown. I want to be healthy in my old age and to die healthy; ha, ha! I developed an interest in a healthy diet as a result. I became convinced by the research I did that a diet which was non-nutritional and unhealthy is the main cause of internal physical illness in conjunction with lifestyle contributing factors.

In some of my other writings, I mentioned that "desire" is where change begins. I really had a desire to be on a healthy diet and to lead a healthy lifestyle. Well, I did in fact, get on a healthy diet. I was 15 pounds overweight before doing so. This did not concern me in the slightest nor did I look overweight. I really never gave it a thought and it was not my motivation for changing my diet. It really never occurred to me that I would lose weight nor did I even try to. My only thoughts were about maintaining good internal health. Now here is where I come to the point I am making. Within two years after changing my diet, I lost 30 pounds. By developing a healthy life, the lost weight resulted as a by-product. (Here is a side note, then I will get back to the point. One similarity to quitting smoking and going through nicotine withdrawal, was quitting all the sugar and going through sugar withdrawal. This was the most difficult part which lasted only a few months. It really can be done when you are "inspired" to obtain a greater reward. For nicotine withdrawal, there are all natural products to help with this phase. For the sugar withdrawal, I just drew on the strength of my determination about who and what I really wanted to be. This comes from an inspired desire that wells up from within. No one can give you that. You either have it or you don't. It usually requires being ready for it. This is something that comes in time and it can't be forced.)

Now, to get back to the point. After losing the 30 pounds, I discovered other dietary things that I believed would be even more beneficial to my long-term health. By adding these things to my diet program, I started losing even more weight. I did not want to, but I did. I actually got scared. I thought I might have made myself sick; the very opposite of what I was trying to do. I started weighing myself every day because if this continued, I was going to run to the doctor. By the end of the 3rd year, I lost another 10 pounds. I had now lost a total of 40 pounds. Then finally the weight stopped coming off. I was relieved. Fortunately, I discovered that I was just fine. Since then I have enjoyed a few foods (in moderation) that I previously eliminated. This brought my weight back up about 10-15 pounds but I am at a nice body weight.

Here is specifically the point. Making a change in my life for the purpose of being a healthy person had a side benefit. Namely, weight loss. Though this was not my purpose, it is just the natural result of developing a healthy life in general. When our desire is "to be a healthy person and have a healthy life", then all these other issues (smoking, drinking, overweight, etc.) just take care of themselves, so-to-speak. Regarding smoking, once your desire changes from "wanting to quit the smoking behavior" to "wanting to be a healthy person with a healthy life", then your whole life focus changes. It is no longer about "stopping" something (which only causes frustration). Instead, you become inspired to "become" something new; to develop something new; a new life! It becomes more interesting and exciting. Can you feel the difference? In many ways, you become a renewed person with a whole new approach to life that changes many areas of your life along with a new purpose and new lifestyle.

To your good health!