It's a fact that we usually take our health for granted until we lose it. I'm writing this for mature adults, many of whom had started smoking cigarettes in their teens or twenties, and have continued to do so on a daily basis for their entire adult lives. I gave up smoking on my own over thirty years ago after smoking over a pack of Marlboros a day for around fifteen years. I can honestly say that it was the smartest move I've ever made, and have never regretted it.
Years ago, smoking was advertised on TV and radio. All the commercials were very seductive. Some phrases used were, 'come to where the flavor is, come to Marlboro country', 'smoke Pall Mall get satisfying flavor, so friendly to your taste', 'you've got your own cigarette now baby, you've come a long, long way' (Virginia Slims), 'Salem softness freshens your taste, softly freshens', 'I'd walk a mile for a Camel'...and on...and on...and on. Sounded pretty awesome, stimulated a desire in the consumer audience to be sure. We didn't think back then that they just were just big corporations, doing what they needed to do to sell their products and make money, and we were their key targets.
Aside from the commercial ads, there was also a very 'cool' thing about smoking. We saw attractive, sexy and tough actors and beautiful actresses in the movies smoking, and that made it even more appealing. In our teens, some of us started smoking because our friends did it and we wanted to be grown-up and 'fit in'. When some of us started smoking, a pack of cigarettes cost less than one dollar, probably less than fifty cents, not too bad for twenty smokes.
No matter when we started, or what the reason was, we realized after a time that it became a habit. We'd have a cigarette in the morning, either with or even before our coffee, one to three on work breaks (back then we could smoke in the buildings), one after every meal or snack, one or more with drinks, etc. Sometimes we'd light a cigarette in the bedroom, only to find that we already had one lit that was in the kitchen ashtray. We had to be sure that we always had a pack of cigarettes with us, and we did what we had to in order to guarantee it.
Years into smoking, we noticed that although we weren't that old, we'd be out of breath after a couple of flights of stairs, if we had to run or walk fast even for a brief period, we'd be huffing and puffing. Usually in the mornings, we'd notice that we were coughing up phlegm from our lungs, maybe hear an audible wheeze, it seemed as soon as we were over a cold, we'd catch another one. Despite these 'inconveniences', we continued to light up, after all, it was so pleasureable.
We all know now that smoking is not good for our health. Cigarettes are full of toxins and lighting them up and inhaling the smoke is damaging to our lungs. They raise our blood pressure, and wrinkle our skin. There are no advantages to cigarette smoking whatsoever. Cigarette smoke is a poison to our bodies, that we've been conditioned to desire since a young age. We fell into the trap, did our time being controlled by them, and have gotten the 'satisfying pleasure' out of our systems, now we've matured, and it's time to think about our health, finances and future before we lose any or all of it.
The time is now to respect your lungs, and care for yourself. If you don't already have any physical conditions or diseases from smoking, consider it a blessing. It's never too late to give up the poison that has so much power over your daily life. Don't think of quitting as a negative thing, you're not denying yourself anything, but the inhalation of a destructive poison directly into your body.
The only reason we think that having a cigarette is so relaxing, is because we've been trained to think that way. It seems relaxing at times, because we're wanting one and thinking about having one so badly, that it appears to relax us when we do. Maybe robbing your body and brain of oxygen is not the best way to relax.
Keep in mind that the main side effects of quitting are mental. If you look at it realistically, you'll acknowledge that you're willingly poisoning your body and you absolutely have the power to stop. Don't wait until a special day, like New Year's to do it, think about it, it doesn't make any sense to put off something that will give you so many benefits. Switch out smoking with healthy habits, like walking in the outdoors to clear your lungs, preferably in a natural setting.
Freedom feels great! Having no desire for the poison is logical. Move forward and make the best of the rest of your life. Quit your smoking habit using mature common sense. Enjoy the health, stop the abuse! Look how hard your lungs have worked to keep you alive all of your life, you're intelligence and maturity makes the reality clear, take advantage of it!
Photos source:http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/lungphotos.htm
Years ago, smoking was advertised on TV and radio. All the commercials were very seductive. Some phrases used were, 'come to where the flavor is, come to Marlboro country', 'smoke Pall Mall get satisfying flavor, so friendly to your taste', 'you've got your own cigarette now baby, you've come a long, long way' (Virginia Slims), 'Salem softness freshens your taste, softly freshens', 'I'd walk a mile for a Camel'...and on...and on...and on. Sounded pretty awesome, stimulated a desire in the consumer audience to be sure. We didn't think back then that they just were just big corporations, doing what they needed to do to sell their products and make money, and we were their key targets.
Aside from the commercial ads, there was also a very 'cool' thing about smoking. We saw attractive, sexy and tough actors and beautiful actresses in the movies smoking, and that made it even more appealing. In our teens, some of us started smoking because our friends did it and we wanted to be grown-up and 'fit in'. When some of us started smoking, a pack of cigarettes cost less than one dollar, probably less than fifty cents, not too bad for twenty smokes.
No matter when we started, or what the reason was, we realized after a time that it became a habit. We'd have a cigarette in the morning, either with or even before our coffee, one to three on work breaks (back then we could smoke in the buildings), one after every meal or snack, one or more with drinks, etc. Sometimes we'd light a cigarette in the bedroom, only to find that we already had one lit that was in the kitchen ashtray. We had to be sure that we always had a pack of cigarettes with us, and we did what we had to in order to guarantee it.
Years into smoking, we noticed that although we weren't that old, we'd be out of breath after a couple of flights of stairs, if we had to run or walk fast even for a brief period, we'd be huffing and puffing. Usually in the mornings, we'd notice that we were coughing up phlegm from our lungs, maybe hear an audible wheeze, it seemed as soon as we were over a cold, we'd catch another one. Despite these 'inconveniences', we continued to light up, after all, it was so pleasureable.
We all know now that smoking is not good for our health. Cigarettes are full of toxins and lighting them up and inhaling the smoke is damaging to our lungs. They raise our blood pressure, and wrinkle our skin. There are no advantages to cigarette smoking whatsoever. Cigarette smoke is a poison to our bodies, that we've been conditioned to desire since a young age. We fell into the trap, did our time being controlled by them, and have gotten the 'satisfying pleasure' out of our systems, now we've matured, and it's time to think about our health, finances and future before we lose any or all of it.
The time is now to respect your lungs, and care for yourself. If you don't already have any physical conditions or diseases from smoking, consider it a blessing. It's never too late to give up the poison that has so much power over your daily life. Don't think of quitting as a negative thing, you're not denying yourself anything, but the inhalation of a destructive poison directly into your body.
The only reason we think that having a cigarette is so relaxing, is because we've been trained to think that way. It seems relaxing at times, because we're wanting one and thinking about having one so badly, that it appears to relax us when we do. Maybe robbing your body and brain of oxygen is not the best way to relax.
Keep in mind that the main side effects of quitting are mental. If you look at it realistically, you'll acknowledge that you're willingly poisoning your body and you absolutely have the power to stop. Don't wait until a special day, like New Year's to do it, think about it, it doesn't make any sense to put off something that will give you so many benefits. Switch out smoking with healthy habits, like walking in the outdoors to clear your lungs, preferably in a natural setting.
Freedom feels great! Having no desire for the poison is logical. Move forward and make the best of the rest of your life. Quit your smoking habit using mature common sense. Enjoy the health, stop the abuse! Look how hard your lungs have worked to keep you alive all of your life, you're intelligence and maturity makes the reality clear, take advantage of it!
Photos source:http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/lungphotos.htm
