Smoked Salmon Another Reason to Stop Smoking

The Great American Smoke Out

How to stop smoking is the question plaguing the minds of smokers the world over. We all know what the major side effects of cigarette smoking are. What's always interesting is what gets over looked in the world of smoking related illness and long term side effects. We tend to focus on facts about lung cancer, emphysema, throat cancer, and heart disease. These are the most common side effects of cigarette smoking. But there are plenty of other complications that smoking can bring forward.

I'm going to take a look at one of those underrated side affects of smoking. It's something that tends to get overlooked. However, I'd like to do it in a rather unique and interesting way. Hopefully, if you smoke, your imagination will carry you from interested to inspired. If the coming visual works for you and you don't smoke, please send this on to someone who does.

If you're ready to stop, I have written a book about how I stopped and how you can too. I also managed to stop smoking without quitting?

Intrigued? Confused? Cold Turkey too. I haven't had a cigarette since mid 02 and have not used the gum, patch or that vapor water e-cigarette crap either... no, I'm not a fan. There's only one way to really stop smoking. Cold Turkey, one day at a time. But you got to have you're head straight or you'll be headed to failure in the worst way.

My book and this article is here to help you get your head straight. I like to do it in a way that's creative and motivating. This article may also have a "sucker punch" like affect. Main thing though is to find ways to see smoking differently and have a little fun going through a very serious topic.

How to Smoke Salmon

Just humor me here for a second, OK?

1. Start with some fresh Salmon fillets.

2. Cut them up into strips and keep the strips about an inch thick.

3. Mix up some brine. (Brine: Water saturated with or containing large amounts of a salt, especially sodium chloride.)

4. Chill brine mixture down to 38 deeze greeze.

5. Submerge Salmon in brine.

6. Put the brine and salmon in the fridge to marinate the fish for anywhere from 30 minutes up to 3 hours. The longer you let is sit, the saltier it will taste.

7. Take the salmon out of the fridge and out of the brine mixture.

8. Gently, rinse off the brine.

9. Now, put salmon on rack to dry out. Keep temp at 35 - 40 deeze greeze. Keep it this way for 6-8 hours.

10. Take out salmon for 1 hour and let it set at room temp. This will form a pellicle. (Pellicle: a thin skin or film [Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology] the hard protective outer layer of certain protozoans, such as those of the genus Paramecium) The Pellicle will hold in moisture while smoking.

11. Put salmon in the smoker. "Use wood chips in the smoker that match your own taste, there are many flavors available." (Thank you eHow)

12. Smoke for 6 to 8 hours. When the temp is at 160 degrees, smoke it for at least 30 minutes at this temperature to kill all bacteria and parasites. From there you can smoke it as long as it takes to get the desired flavor.

Total time to prepare smoked salmon is about 24 hours. The average time it takes to smoke a cigarette is 4 minutes. 18 packs of cigarettes is roughly the volume you'd need to effectively match the time under smoke in your mouth. So for the most part, you've smoked your mouth and gums like salmon in under a month. If you're a pack a day smoker that's 18 days. 2 packs a day? Heck, you're the smokehouse here, you do the math!

Your Mouth

Smoking is one of the leading causes of Periodontal Disease. That brine I was talking about? Take a look at a standard brine recipe. Water, Salt, brown sugar, water, soy sauce, herbs. Now, from Yahoo answers, look at this, "Brining promotes a change in the structure of the proteins in the muscle"

NEXT!

Salivia: "Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands, and hundreds of minor salivary glands. Human saliva is composed of 98% water, while the other 2% consists of other compounds such as electrolytes, mucus, antibacterial compounds, and various enzymes. As part of the initial process of food digestion, the enzymes in the saliva break down some of the starch and fat in the food at the molecular level. Saliva also breaks down food caught in the teeth, protecting them from bacteria that cause decay. Furthermore, saliva lubricates and protects the teeth, the tongue, and the tender tissues inside the mouth."(Thank you Wikipedia)

Notice anything similar? Your spit acts like a kind of brine for the food you put into your mouth.

Smoking tobacco, dries the mouth and relieves the mouth of the ability to properly begin digestion.

Gum tissue: Your gums are part of the soft tissue lining in the mouth. Your gums cover and surround your teeth. They also provide a seal around them. A good amount of your gums are tightly bound to the underlying bone which helps resist the friction of food. Healthy gums are usually pinkish. What else can you think of that's pinkish? Salmon, perhaps? When might the color change? Increased redness? Tendency to bleed? Inflammation? Plaque? Smoke?

Gingivitis: Untreated, gingivitis leads to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease leads to bone loss, receding gums, loose teeth and eventually tooth loss.

Fixing this sucks.

Read this about smoking meats and then think about what's happening inside your mouth and too your gums when you smoke:

"Smoking is a preservative because smoke contains chemical compounds that retard the growth of harmful bacteria. More than three hundred components of smoke have been identified. Carbonyl compounds in smoke contribute to the distinctive flavor and aroma of smoked meat, while the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide help produce the bright red pigment. Phenolic compounds in smoke play a role in protecting fat from oxidizing and turning rancid, which is no doubt a major reason why fatty foods, such as herring or pork, were (and are) so often smoked. The composition of the smoke changes as the temperature of the fire rises, with the best quality smoke produced at a temperature of 650° to 750°F. Control of humidity in the smokehouse is also important since high humidity favors deposition of smoke on the surface of the food and absorption of the flavor. High humidity also assists in the rendering of fat ."

Think of your gums as salmon...

This Doesn't Have To Be You

Listen folks, people worry about lung and heart disease but let's face it, your grill's at risk! So if you're heart's going to give out because your one good lung can't absorb enough oxygen and you're going to drop dead, don't you want to go out with a nice set of choppers?

But I digress.

Bottom line here, you got one heart, one set of lungs and one grill. Thanks to modern science, you can actually get new ones of all of these things. So don't worry about it. Smoke up! Right?

I digress again. Hopefully, you're insurance is up to date and they are a forgiving company. People that get hearts and lungs get them because the one's they came with don't work so well. Yours, the smoker heart and lung, is defective because you choose to make it so.

The good news? They repair themselves for a lot less than transplanting a new one?

The Last Word

Up above here is my website.  Who's smoking? You? Your spouse? Your buddy? Sibling? Co-Worker?

Help them help themselves or simply step up and help yourself. It's time to stop. And if not for you than for the one's that love you. And if not for them, then do it for me!

To all those smoker's who are terribly cool out there... you do not not have to give up any piece of you or your identity to become a (as I put it in my book) a smoker who doesn't smoke. I have found a way to not smoke and remain terribly cool and you can too.

Look, if you, like me, realize that smoking is not how you have to identify yourself, stopping suddenly becomes more manageable.

And notice I say stop. Don't quit. It's too difficult to quit and quitting is something we try. We all know there is no try. "Trying" something is weak. Come into it from a position of strength and just stop.

For more words of wisdom and food for thought, get the book, check out the blog, leave a comment, let me know how I can help you stop.

Also, if I've ruined smoked salmon for you, please accept my humble apology.

A Tip To Reduce the Urge to Smoke: How to Stop Smoking with Oysters

Coping With Cravings

How do you reduce cigarette cravings? How do handle the urge to smoke when you're trying to quit? Is it even possible to beat cigarette cravings? What is the right mindset to handle nicotine withdrawal? I mean, what if your perception was the difference between success and failure?

I've Got You Under My Skin

Let's say you're on oyster... How does an oyster make a pearl? And is it possible to use this knowledge to break a habit like smoking cigarettes?

Now, stay with me on this because it'll be worth it. I promise. If you're an oyster, you produce your own shell. You have an organ known as the mantle that takes what you eat and converts it into your shell. The inner lining of your shell is called nacre. It is also produced by the mantle. As an oyster, you're mostly made up of muscle and organs. Your skin is your shell. It is there to protect you from the elements.

So what if you got something under your skin? Frank Sinatra used to sing about it. However, when Old Blue Eyes was crooning, it was a good thing. If you're an oyster, this is a problem. As a human, you can relate. Ever get sand in your pants?

Now as an oyster, if you get a little sand under your skin or some other foreign object that starts rubbing on you and grinding on you, what do you do? What if this irritant winds up in your mantle?

Well for an oyster, he/she/it will make a pearl. The oyster will have the mantle start cranking out nacre to surround the "irritant." Eventually what forms in there is a beautiful pearl.

The Prestige

So, like any good magic trick, there are three key elements. The setup, the performance, and the prestige. The prestige is where you pull the rabbit out of your hat.

What? From pearls and oysters to rabbits and magic?

No. To the prestige. The end. The point where it all comes together.

So you've decided to stop smoking. Now what? You've tried before with little or no success. You tried, succeeded (kind of) and then started again. But this time, you declare, will be different.

But what is the one thing you dread? What is it that makes it so hard? Why is it so hard to quit? Well, in my opinion it's impossible to quit, so why bother? For a deeper understanding of that, take a look at my book, How to Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone available on Amazon.com

For many, including myself, the hardest part about getting off cigarettes is the withdrawal phase.

The urge, desire, craving, to smoke pokes at you, grinds on you, burns you up. It's like having sand in your pants. A Lot of sand. What other kind of sand is out there that pulls out the craving? Some jerk at work, too much work, traffic, spouse problems, family trouble, money problems. The world is full of sand. What get's under your skin? What is your sand?

So now you're irritated. Normally, you smoke.

But now you're an oyster. What are you going to do?

Why make a pearl of course!

That's the Prestige.

How to make pearls

I was listening to Mantra: A Practice for Power, Peace & Prosperity by Niurka and Larisa Stow. In it, Larisa talked about oysters and how they make pearls and I was so inspired by this analogy. I instantly thought of making pearls to stop smoking and how simple and powerful this wisdom is.

An oyster, as you know, covers the irritant with nacre. This makes the irritant smooth and round and less irritating, in fact probably not irritating at all. Remember, you produce your own shell. You are in charge of protecting yourself.

But you're not an oyster. How do you make a pearl? How do you create your shell?

What is the pearl actually? Well in this case it's better lung function, lower chance of cancer, stroke, heart attack, etc. You know why smoking's not a good idea. That's your pearl. So is being free from the pains of nicotine addiction.

In my book, you'll read that releasing myself from the bondage of nicotine was a chief motivational factor and frankly, that was more my pearl than anything.

Another pearl was the ability to exercise better, harder and faster. I train with Russian Kettlebells. You can't smoke and Swing and Snatch a Kettlebell at the same time.

You start making your pearl and building your shell every time you make the conscious decision to not smoke. There's the urge, the grinding, the rubbing, the craving. Normally you go smoke and release yourself of the discomfort, but instead, you're going to breathe deep, recognize what's happening right now and then make the decision to not smoke.

If you're smoking now and just thought to yourself, but it's not that simple , take a moment and just be with that thought for a second. What if it is? What if it is that simple? Keep in mind, simple doesn't mean easy. More often than not we confuse simple with easy. That confusion can slow down our progress dramatically. Think about it.

Going through this phase is part of growth and development. Look at growth and look at birth for that matter. It's a traumatic experience. In your life, it is usually the hard times and challenging moments that produce the greatest results later. Have you ever been thankful after a traumatic event? Did that moment, incident, experience change you and change you for the better? While you're in it, it's a dark tunnel, but as you emerge through the light you come out stronger, reborn, renewed.

Elenore Roosevelt taught us that no one can hurt us without our consent. Viktor Frankl showed us that between stimulus and response is our ability and obligation as humans to choose.

Continuing on this path will shape and form a beautiful pearl.

If this is your journey, get yourself a copy of How to Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone as it can be your road map to finally living a smoke-free life.

Resistance Exercise Could Be Just What You Need To Stop Smoking

Stop Smoking with exercise.  Exercise helps you stop smoking!  I've been saying this all along and now here’s the proof!  A research study found that regular resistance training (weight lifting) can more than double someone’s chances of successfully stopping smoking.

This particular study was published in a journal called Nicotine and Tobacco Research, gives evidence that to lining healthy and having an active lifestyle can actually improve a smoker’s chance of kicking the habit for good.

In the past it was just aerobic exercise that had been scientifically studied and proven to help a smoker stop but now we’re talking resistance training to go with.  So insert Kettlebell here!

The research had 25 males and 25 females who had been smoking for at least one year and were smoking at least five cigarettes a day.   They were given a 60 minute circuit training routine which comprised of ten different exercises.  The 50 members of the group committed to working out two times per week for 12 weeks.  They also received smoking cessation counseling and they were given nicotine patches to last them for the duration of the course.  (RED FLAG for me, but let’s press on)

By the end of the study, 15% of subjects had not relapsed.  They also had lost weight and reduced their

body fat percentage.   Another group at the same time of this study watched an inspirational health video instead of exercising and that group had an 8% success rate.  However, the non-exercise group gained weight and their body fat went up.

So while I don’t support the patch (or any NRT for that matter) what I like best about this study is it shows that exercise, weight lifting and aerobic training increase the chances of staying in the non-smoking section!

The head guy for the study, Dr. Joseph Ciccolo, said: “Cigarette smoking kills more than a thousand Americans every day, and while the large majority of smokers want to quit, less than five per cent are able to do it without help.  We need any new tools that can help smokers successfully quit and it appears resistance training could potentially be an effective strategy.”

Damn right it’s an effective strategy.  Strengthen the body and you will consequently strengthen the mind and the spirit.  To effectively stop smoking requires the ability to keep going.  This is something that is developed through resistance training and exercise.

 

You’re in the gym, how many times do you hear, “c’mon man, one more rep!”  “Push it!”  “You got this.”  The ability to push past a perceived level of fatigue will translate into the ability to push through a craving.  “OK, it’s been 3 days without a cigarette.  C’mon man, one more day.  Let’s go.  Push it!”

If you're thinking this is you, let me help you get your mind wrapped around it.  You mindset will be crucial to being able to stop and have to push through.  Pick up a copy of my book How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.  Help yourself or the soon to be ex-smoker in your life!

Bad Advice From A Good Doctor - What IS The Best Way To Stop Smoking?

Minneapolis, MN - "What is the most effective way right now for patients who really want to stop smoking?"  This was the question asked to Dr. John Hallberg from Tom Crann of All Things Considered on NPR.

Let's look at Hallberg's answer.

HALLBERG: I wish there was "the way" -- that there was a single way to make this happen. I think that over and over again, the thing that comes up is the importance of setting a quit date; that looking out ahead, something significant on the calendar that becomes the date that that person kind of wraps their mind around that they will quit. And then starting to decrease the nicotine and getting up to that point, considering using a nicotine replacement substance when the time comes, such as a patch or a spray or an inhaler, possibly medication. But there is no single way, I'm afraid.

My two cents on the matter...  here we go...

WEAK ANSWER!

C'mon Dr. Hallberg!  People look to you for more than advice.  They look to you for strength and motivation.  Give it to them and take a stand on something.  Say it load and proud and mean it.

#1.  There is a way to make this happen!  The human brain is so powerful.  We put a man on the moon and created this internet that I'm communicating with potentially millions of people.  Cliche as it may be, where there is a will there is a way.  The power of decision and choice is the most powerful human element   If you can decide to start something then you can decide to stop something.

#2.  Weaning off may not be the best solution.  For some it has worked, but I know for me, it didn't.  What worked was deciding to stop.  When a person makes a real decision to stop smoking, they suddenly find the ability and strength to stop.  Once a person fully, truly and sincerely commits to something the whole world will move to aid in the quest.  If you're truly committed, you'll do it.  Be responsible for your choices.  Yes, smoking, even after it has become an addiction is still a choice.  You are not helpless.

"You are powerful beyond measure."  -Marianne Williamson

#3.  Setting a date and making a big deal out of quitting only adds to the anxiety of the situation and for some just delays the taking of action.  Yoda-ism #1, "Do or do not.  There is no try."  Action is the final key.  Smokers need to go beyond, "this is bad for me" if that was all it took, no one would smoke.  We all know it's bad and we decide to do it anyway.  That's insane.  Period.  If you're going to stop, you need to find a reason bigger than you, commit to that reason and then re-commit every time you feel the urge.  That's all it is you know.  It's just an urge.  With the advent of caller-ID, how many times do you deny the urge to answer the phone?  Just hit the ignore button when nicotine calls.  Simple?  Yes.  Easy?  HELL NO!  Do it anyway...

"But there is no single way, I'm afraid."

He's afraid.  Afraid to speak the truth.  That you, a human being, can stop.  Addiction is powerful.  But it's not all powerful.

Smokers, you're not helpless.  Here's the way - change a couple of mind sets here:

#1 - The time to stop smoking was yesterday.  Take action, decide to stop and commit to it.  Commit to it for a purpose greater than you.

#2 - Addiction is not a reason to keep smoking, it's an excuse to keep smoking.  It's a powerless place to be.  Take the power back.  Every time you light up moving forward, acknowledge that you are choosing to smoke and that you can equally choose NOT to smoke.

#3 - Every time you say "can't" replace it in your mind with "won't"  I can't stop smoking!  I won't stop smoking.  Why won't you stop?  Because I'm addicted to it!

Remember #2, that's just an excuse.  I'm choosing to smoke and I can choose to stop.  I have the power to stop.

Leave quitting out of it.  Quitting may be too big a concept for your addicted brain.  For now, just stop; don't quit.

Are Electronic Cigarettes Safe Or Another Cancer Causing Agent Of Big Tobacco

Reporting from Los Angeles - There may be no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to the e-cigarette.  For smokers in France, a country basically stereotyped with smoking, it may be time to quit smoking.  What will these men do when a piece of their identity is ripped from their ability to live fully?

"The e-cigarette is not an ordinary product," said French Health Minister Marisol Touraine.  "We need to apply the same measures as there are for tobacco."

Interestingly enough, France isn't the only country taking issue with the e-cig.  Many countries have already outlawed e-cigarettes all together.  Countries like Turkey, Brazil, Singapore, Argentina and possible next Italy.  Italian health ministers are recommending a ban on e-cigarettes in public and the sale to minors and pregnant women.

Marisol Touraine also said, "Smoking an e-cigarette is smoking."  I tend to agree with her.  While technically safer than the traditional cigarette, the so called water vapor also contains propylene glycol which is an irritant to the airways and (get ready for this) formaldehyde.  Right!  The liquid that held the two headed pig you saw at the county fair last year.  That formaldehyde.

If you're considering switching to e-cigarettes, hey, why not, it's got to be better than a regular one, but does that make it safe or safe-er?  Standing one legged on a 100 foot ledge is dangerous.  Standing on the same ledge with both feet; still dangerous.

Why should you raise a red flag or at least an eyebrow?  Because Big Tobacco is getting in on the action.  That's why.

Lorillard bought blu ecigs (so Steven Dorf now works for Big Tobacco) and Camel, which was my brand of choice when I was choosing to smoke is selling their e-cigarette called Vuse.

These are the same guys who manipulated nicotine levels to make them more addicting and then denied that cigarettes were addicting.  The same people who hired doctors, actors and opera singers to promote their deadly product.  How long will it be before some Doctor Oz looking guy is featured on an infomercial talking about the "safe and effective" use of the Vuse to quit smoking regular cigarettes?

My advice, is if you're going to stop smoking, then STOP smoking.  Cigarettes, electronic or otherwise are nothing more than a delivery device for nicotine.  So is the patch and the gum.  They even call it that.  NRT.  Nicotine Replacement Therapy.  Sooner or later you're going to have to combat the Nicotine demon.  Rip that sucker off like a band-aid.  Big tobacco has had enough of your money, time and life.

Do yourself a favor and throw 20 bucks at the book that will change your life, how you see yourself as a smoker and give you the tools you need to not quit, but just stop smoking once and for all.

Six Month Notice To Quit Smoking Or Move Out In Layton, UT

Need help getting smoke free?  Try http://www.stopdontquit.com/

Layton, Utah -  Starting in November, residents of the Skyline View Apartments were served not with a 3 day notice to pay rent or quit but instead to quit smoking in six months or move out!  WOW!  In November, smoking in the building or with in 25 feet of the property itself.

You can read the article from the Salt Lake Tribune HERE.

What I want to touch on it this:

There are two residents who are not so pleased with the ultimatum.  Randy Batchelor and his fiancee.  They've been there for 8 years, they smoke and they're pissed.

Unfortunately for them the Davis County Health Dept and HUD are on board with the policy!

Randy's 2 cents on the issue are classic.  "It's a bunch of BS," he says.  "You can't force someone to do something that they're not ready to do."

Randy, they're not forcing you to do anything.  They've presented you with a choice on how you can live in their building.  For example, in my home, visitors are not allowed to stab me in the throat.  It's a policy I have.  If you decide you want to come over, you need to abide by the policy otherwise, you're just not welcome.

Randy is also now starting to look for a more smoker friendly apartment for himself, fiancee and their two teenage children.

Now I will relate this to you dear Randy...  you know kids whose parents smoke are twice as likely to smoke themselves.  So essentially Randy, you're slowly killing your kids by the example your setting and the potential hazards of second hand smoke.  Would you lace small amounts of Drano into your kids OJ?  Frankly, I don't see the difference.  See Randy, if you, a grown man want to commit a slow passive aggressive form a suicide and your fiancee (a grown woman) wants to join you in the downward spiral, more power to you.  But to involve your kids in that...  man, that ain't cool!  And when you going to marry that nice girl anyway?  Keep smoking and the "till death do us part" part will come all too soon.  Maybe you're admitted lack of will power is why you can't step up and put the big ring on her finger.

Sorry for hacking on you Randy, but even though we haven't met, I care about you and your family.  Trust me man, you'll NEVER be ready to quit smoking.  It has nothing to do with being ready.  It has to do with you being a man, recognizing you have an addiction that needs handling.  This addiction is not just hurting you but it is and will continue to hurt the ones you love.  So step up my brother.  If you're not ready to stop smoking for you, then by all means, simply stop smoking for your family.  Dig in and grind it out.  You have the power to do it.  Take it one day at a time.  It'll get easier over time.  Promise!

If you need help kicking the habit in the butt, there is a method with a 100% success rate to stop smoking, create personal power and survive the cravings for ever.  Take a look at www.StopDontQuit.com the only think you need to stop smoking.

Coffee with Out Cigarettes? Starbucks, please say it isn't so?!?!?!?!

If you saw a guy about to light up first, it's time to stop smoking!
www.StopDontQuit.com

Starbuck's to ban smoking outside and with in 25 feet of cafe.
Cigarettes and coffee make a great team.  If you smoke, starting the morning with some light reading on the patio with a cup of Joe and a smoke is simply wonderful.  Non-smokers may never fully appreciate the wonders of cigarettes and coffee but that's OK.  I'll gladly release this pleasure for the ability to run, swing a kettlebell and not get winded just trying to take out the trash.

With that said, a big fat Kudoos to the Starbuck's crew for banning smoking with in 25 feet of their establishment.  I'm all for it.

Ironically, I'm also a proponent of smoker's rights and fully acknowledge that there are probably a good amount of smokers who are employed by Starbucks.  Both parties deserving of the right to commit a very slow passive aggressive suicide.  But not at the expense of the customer.  It's really about the customer experience and the safety of the non-smoking employees.  Mind you I've yet to see a death certificate listing second hand smoke as the cause of death, but I'm a cynic anyway...  The majority of caffeine-a-holics grossly outnumber the nicotine addicts and so in any good democracy (free market), majority wins.  Sorry smokers!

Even now, 11 years without a cigarette, I still miss them and enjoy vicariously smoking on the patio at the local Starbucks.  I will however, get over it.  Smoking is not a necessary component to my day anymore. And while the right to smoke is an exercise in personal freedom; so is having the self-awareness to decide to be free of the 30+ known carcinogens being inhaled every time you take a drag.

What?  No smoking?????

Wouldn't it be nice to be free of having to get pissed off that you can't smoke on the patio at Starbucks anymore? Or that you intentionally won't take a direct flight so you can hop off mid trip to grab a smoke?  True freedom is not being in the shadow of substance that controls your mood and puts a sheet over the real you.

Who knows, maybe this stupid little company policy is just what you need to finally decide to free yourself from the hold the nicotine delivery business has on you.

My book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone was designed to get you right in the head so you can finally stop once and for all.  Pick up a copy and get over it!

Darcie Lynn's Book Exchange Now Carrying How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone

Darcie Lynn's Book Exchange now carries my book How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.  Darcie Lynn's is the biggest little book store in Yucaipa, CA.  So, next time you're in Yucaipa or the Inland Empire stop in and pick up a copy!  Especially, if you're not the Amazon ordering type!

In other news, I was at Darcie Lynn's Paperback Exchange yesterday with two other writers doing a book signing.  It was a great event, had a lot of fan and laughs plus I was able to meet with some truely great people.

They called the event, fittingly, the "T'Ides of March."

With me yesterday was my father, Vernon Bradley author of From The Frying Pan To The Jacuzzi, a book designed to help you create your ideal relationship and then maintain it!

Also in attendance was Tegon Maus, remodeler/contractor by day and Fantasy Writer by night.  Tegon was there to promote "The Gift - The Chronicles of Tucker Littlefield." An action adventure fantasy quest like nothing you've ever read before!

Tegon Maus to the right, Vernon Bradley center

So to wrap this up, I will say this.  America was founded on and stays intact because of small business.  This country has always been about the freedom of the individual to create the life they want and be able to flourish and prosper.  If you life in the Inland Empire or find yourself there, make sure to pop in to Darcie Lynn's, pick up a book for yourself (they have all kinds) and visit with Andrew the owner.  And if you're not in the area, make sure you're supporting your local businesses.  Yes, we all need to go to Target, but make sure you're flowing some love and cash towards the backbone of America.

Lastly, the Internet allows the opportunity for so many to create and publish their own work which otherwise would not have had that chance and opportunity.  Make sure you support your local artists, musicians and writers.  Give them every opportunity to entertain you, take you on a quest, enhance your marriage or help you kick a habit!  Buy their works and take in their writings.  If you don't like it, the good news is you can always take your copy to Darcie Lynn's Book Exchange and trade it for something else!

Experimental Drug Curbs Smokers' Nicotine Cravings - David R Bradley cimes in...

If you're looking to quit smoking, there's no need for an e-cigarette, patch, gum, and certainly no need to pop a pill that will further alter your brain chemistry.  Nicotine is already altering your brain chemistry.  When you go for a time with out injesting nicotine, you're body begins to withdraw.  It's normal, not a problem and part of becoming a non smoker.  Sometimes you need to suffer, strain and work to appreciate fully your accomplishment.  Why should getting off cigarettes be any different?

Pick up a copy of my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone to kick the habit.  Get it right the first time!  You have to power to stop smoking.  Will you use it?

Excuses are like... and everyone's got one!

EXCUSES

"Excuses are TOOLS of the WEAK & INCOMPETENT that build monuments of NOTHINGNESS & Bridges that lead to NOWHERE, those who use them seldom amount to ANYTHING."

Notice the source at the bottom...  Clearly, this is not a 5th grade class in California or it would read a little different.



What's important here is that every time you smoke a cigarette or talk about why you can't quit, then you're making an excuse.  So when you make an excuse like of this because this definition is lethal.

So, all you quitters out there, it's time to stop trying to quit and just stop smoking.  No more excuses, no more, period.  Knock that crap off!

"You Become What You Most Repeatedly Do" -Scott Sonnon

Saw this on Scott Sonnon's Facebook Page yesterday and found it to be a wonderful addition to my blog.

You become what you most repeatedly do, whether you prefer it or not. Some read this and see problems. Others read this and see possibilities. The former believe in fate, the latter - in the forge.

Not the discovery [that] we can become whatever we do that shocked me most, but the awareness of we CHOOSE to perceive that as obstacle or opportunity, which transformed me... And this compels me to share that news with as many as I can reach.

What you are now, you can sacrifice for who you wish to become. Instead of deciding to "live a little" and suffer the consequences, choose to "live a lot" and enjoy them.

It's the last line that brings it home, wouldn't you agree?

...Over Your Dead Body...(Death Express Continued)

...Over Your Dead Body...(Death Express Continued) 

Well, it looks like my friend on HubPages went and did it again!  Go take a look at this Hub for a painting with words.  Look at it.  See if you can see your reflection in this mirror.  Even if you don't smoke, you may have a monkey on your back that may very well be looking you straight in the eye?

Let's say you used to smoke...  or drink...  or...  you fill in that blank.  Here's the deal.  In my book, How To Smoking Without Killing Anyone, I challenge you to be a smoker who doesn't smoke.  This smoking thing has become a part of who you are.  It's a piece of your identity now.  Like it or not and this part of your life, that journey and experience of being a smoker made you who you are now.

You can't hide from that and you will never escape it.  What you do now is just that.  Stay in this now and leave the past where it belongs.  In the past.  The choice is yours.

Stay tuned for more...

Happy New Year! Now Don't Go And Do Something Stupid Like...

Tell all your friends your gonna quit smoking this year only to wind up smoking again 3 weeks later.  If you New Years Resolution is to quit smoking this year...

then I made this video just for you.  Not only the habitual smoker, but the habitual quitter...  Happy New Year!!!

How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone Testimonial

When I decided to write and publish a book on How to Stop Smoking, I did it with the intention of empowering people who wanted to stop but couldn't quite get their head around it.  Stopping smoking is a mental game of chess.  Winning that game will not be easy.  It is completely possible and simple as a mater of fact, it's just not easy.  The following testimonial is another success story!  I want you to use this success to know that the only thing holding you back from becoming a non-smoker is you!  You can stop.  If Karen can do it, you can too...

David I wanted you to see what I wrote at Amazon for your book review. I am not a writer.. I would like to think you might approve... here it is...

In 6 years of working on the no smoking game that I have been playing, I have quiet 4 times.... My daughter in law said I need help from a professional, We didn't find one, (only for drugs and alcohol) Then I heard about this book and watched David's video and I was hooked. Couldn't wait to get the book. My parents, husband and I drove to Ga. (book in hand) when I was on week two, You see I can quit, I just can't stay that way, This time was different for me. This was it.. I read the book and it made such sense to me. I would bring the book out and my mother would say "what are you going to write now" or I would read different parts to her and we would discuss it. I can't tell you enough about the book except that I am now on about day 60 and have never made it past 14 days without a puff,even for 6 months. With the help of David's book I have decided that I don't need a cigarette or puff or anything, I am stronger than it is... I thought I loved the love of smoking and David made me realize it was just the brain making me think that. it's not true. No one can love something that is going to kill you... I have read the book three times and get something new from it each time to make me stronger than before. My husband crossed out the word ANYONE and put HUSBAND. it was cute.. I can't even remember what it's like to live a smoke free life, I have had to learn it all new, Like a rebirth if that's what you want to call it. I am 53 years old and have been buying cigarettes since i was 14 years old, my first one at age 12. Nothing to be proud of. But it's a part of my life and I can't take it back or erase it, I can however change my tomorrow and todays. Today I tell myself that I Choose not to SMOKE.. Thank you David for all my years of living you have given to me so I can enjoy my beautiful grand babies.... Karen

Did You Get A Copy of "How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone" for Christmas?

OR!  Are you giving a copy of "How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone" to someone you love for Christmas...  here's what you want to do to add some wood to that fire:

Send them this LINK:  http://youtu.be/NVOZp0FBfWw

This quickie, if you will, will be a message from you on my behalf...  or is that a message from me on your behalf?  Whatever!  You get the point, right?  Send them this link!

What to Get the Smoker In Your Life For Christmas

Is there a smoker in your life?  Are you wondering what to get the cigarette smoker for Christmas?  Is it time they seriously looked at stopping?  Have they tried to quit before?  Here's the perfect gift for them

The Perfect Gift For The Smoker This Christmas

How would like to quit STOP smoking for Christmas?  Watch this video and spread this message!  It could be the best thing you do for the ones you love!

The other fellow’s mistakes are a weak alibi for your own.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” 

It’s easy when you are part of a group to “go along to get along,” but when you are able to maintain your own highest standards of integrity — regardless of what others may do — you are destined for greatness. When you have developed a carefully thought-out code of personal conduct, you will never have to ask anyone else what the appropriate course of action should be. You will intuitively know.

So this little tid-bit of a morsel popped into my in-box from The Napoleon Hill Foundation and I immediately recognized it as a token of wisdom for those of you still caught in the net of how to kick the habit.  

Especially when all your friends still smoke and have very little interest in you taking the steps necessary to prolong your life.  So stand up and stand out.  If you need help with wrapping your head around the idea of never smoking again, get a copy of my book and in there you will find the secret to understanding exactly how to think in order to finally stop once and for all!

How To Thrive in Traffic Not Just Survive

How To Thrive in Traffic Not Just Survive

For those of who are particularly fond of smoking and driving, here's a few tips and trick to help keep that in check!

How To Stop Cigarette Cravings

How To Stop Cigarette Cravings

In this most recent Hub, David Bradley, author of How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, examines three powerful and effective techniques to handle cigarette craving anytime and anywhere.

Give it a look over and feel free to comment on the Hub itself.  Always appreciate the feedback!