When I was a kid, I was on the swim team. It often wasn't easy, and we were pushed to do things that we didn't think we were capable of doing and as kids, we often said "BUT I CAN'T!!!" And every time someone said that, the whole class had to tread water for 5 minutes with our hands out on top of our heads (all of you good swimmers out there... TRY THAT! IT'S HARD!) or swim really really far or some other unpleasant task. Of course, after that, whoever said "I CAN'T" was a very unpopular person and we all learned never to say that horrible word. I STILL cringe to this day whenever I hear the word "can't."
I now teach kids how to swim and I often hear that awful 4-letter word. And although I don't make the kids do some horrible exercise, I do try to stress to them the importance to believe that you CAN do the task at hand. Most of my job is [b]NOT[/b] teaching people HOW to swim, but more convincing them that they CAN. Almost every single person over about the age of 4 (many sooner), barring any physical or mental handicap, CAN swim. Likewise, every single smoker CAN quit. Fear often keeps them from doing it, but if they would just trust their abilities, they COULD swim (or quit).
Fear of quitting keeps many nicotine addicts slaves to their addiction. If only every smoker would believe that they CAN quit, there would be no smokers at all. Whenever I see someone on here, after they've had a slip or a relapse, say that they "can't" quit... or that they just don't "have what it takes", I think about swim team and about how an utter hatred for that word was deeply engrained into my brain. If only we all had that same hatred for the word. Maybe we would think twice before giving up if we�d all been taught as kids that �can�t� just isn�t acceptable.
But since most of us didn�t have to go through grueling punishment every time that horrible 4-letter word was uttered, we don�t have that same negative connotation, but I think we should develop one. The word �can�t� just isn�t acceptable in my book and has no place in a quit. The next time you think you �can�t� think again (or tread water with your hands on your head for 5 minutes� no, wait� I�m a lifeguard! :p )
Crave the Quit!
Pam
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005
[B