"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?

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!

What Are You Waiting For?

"Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.

For an achiever, perhaps the most dangerous, most destructive habit of all is procrastination, for it robs you of your initiative. When you put things off once, it's easier to put them off again, until the habit is so firmly ingrained that it cannot be easily broken. Sadly, the effects of the habit of procrastination are also cumulative. Its cure is obvious -- action. You'll be surprised how quickly you begin to feel better about yourself and your situation when you get going on something-anything. As British prime minister and author Benjamin Disraeli said, "Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action."  

Once again, Napoleon Hill tells it like it is...

 

Stop Smoking with Self Discipline

Self Discipline.  How does self discipline apply to not smoking anymore?

Sounds like a stupid question, doesn't it?  Especially since my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, is a recipe for how to successfully stop smoking cold turkey.

Well, I wanted to dissect the word and look at it fully under the mental microscope if you will.



Self: 

• a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality: one's own self. 
• a person's nature, character, etc.: his better self. 
• personal interest. 
• Philosophy.  a.  the ego; that which knows, remembers, desires, suffers, etc., as contrasted with that known, remembered, etc.  b.  the uniting principle, as a soul, underlying all subjective experience.

Discipline:

• Origin:
  1175–1225; Middle English  < Anglo-French  < Latin disciplīna  instruction, tuition, equivalent to discipul ( us ) 
  • Root word disciple

OK, so what do we have so far?

When you look at the word "self," it is safe to assume that self is, in addition to you, it is also a reflection of who you are and it is also who you believe you are.

Now the word discipline, comes from the word "disciple."  This is an important thing to recognize here because discipline is so often thought of in terms of punishment.  When you look at a dictionary, you'll see words for discipline like:  behavior, order, regimen, and conduct.  These connotations can all have negative undertones.  Discipline usually falls under the category of "I've done something wrong and need to be punished."  Have you ever heard someone say, "I need more discipline in my life."What are they really saying about themselves?

This is where we've been conditioned to look with a word like that.  But what else does discipline mean?

• activity 
• exercise
• improvement of skill 
• training
• a branch of instruction or learning

So when you think about it like that, what is a disciple?  Who has disciples?  Who comes to mind right away?  Jesus, right?  He had 12 disciples.  Meaning these guys followed his teachings and more importantly lived by his teachings.  The key point though is that they were first and foremost, students.

Other people since have had disciples.  Gandhi, for example had/had disciples.  The Dali Lama has disciples.  Bruce Lee has disciples.

What about you?

You need at least one disciple.  You.  You need to be your own disciple.  You should be a student of you.  That is the essence of your humanity.  Self awareness is such a key component to being a human being.  Look at a dog or a cat for example.  They behave as a dog or cat would but lack the ability to truly see themselves through their own eyes.  Have you aver seen a dog ponder their own existence?  In between licking his butt and chasing a car have you ever seen a dog stop and recognize, "I think, therefor I am."  Not going to happen.

The ability to become a disciple of our self is one of the great mysteries that separates from the rest of the animal kingdom.

"KNOW THYSELF"

It appears the Greeks are still debating who's getting credit for this but if I had to pick one personally, I'd like to give it to Socrates.  If for no other reason then I am a fan of Dan Millman.

So for those looking to stop smoking or break any habit, self-discipline is a vital element in achieving the goals you are laying forth.  Since this is a book on how to stop smoking, let's stay on this example.

Let's also stay on the idea that self discipline is more about being a student of yourself then the idea that you need to "discipline" yourself for smoking.

This is what you'll find through out my book.  An opportunity to know yourself well enough to recognize that in your decision to not smoke you will not have to give up any part of who you are.  Deciding to stop smoking is an evolutionary step in your own path of self awareness, self discovery and self actualization.  All synonyms of self discipline.

KNOW THYSELF.

Another good one, this time from Bill.  Shakespeare, that is.

TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE.

Do you see the value in knowing yourself well enough to recognize that the habit (smoking in this case) is merely a reflection or an extension of yourself and not actually you?  Now this doesn't mean you get to get away with saying, "But that's not me."  That is irresponsible.  What I am suggesting here is that in order to stop smoking once and for all, you must recognize that the behavior is a reflection (symptom) of your self image and not your actual self.

Once you have a handle on that concept, you then can truly see yourself.  Then you can see yourself not smoking too.  And then once you have that picture in your mind, of you not smoking, you can now wade into the waters of being a smoker who doesn't smoke.  Taking that one day at a time.  Understand you were you before you started smoking and will still be you after you stop.


Yes, there will be a great debate in your body and mind as they have all been tricked into believing that smoking is a part of who you are.  But with real self discipline, you can press on.  I saw an interesting quote while researching this blog and I find it an appropriate way to end this today...  are you ready?  Here you go:

SUFFER THE PAIN OF DISCIPLINE OR SUFFER THE PAIN OF REGRET.

How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone Gets A Video Review!

In this video, Jerad Spencer talks about what he got from my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.

This is huge for me and deeply appreciated! 








Copies are available on my website http://www.stopdontquit.com/, here on the blog or at Amazon. 

How To Stop Smoking: My Book Does Not Stink!

How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone is ultimately a "self-help" book.  It is written for people who are looking to stop smoking or have already stopped smoking.  If you've already stopped, this book will help you solidify your decision.  If you're trying to stop smoking, this book will help you get from trying to stop smoking to having stopped smoking. 

Recently, an article was posted in Yahoo finance called "Why Most Self-Help Book Stink (And a Few That Don't)"  Written by Laura Vanderkam, she spoke with Christine Whelan, a literal student of the Self-Help genre, and together they take a look at 3 reasons, self-help books stink.  Let's look at these 3 reasons and see how they fair against my self-help book,  How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.


"1. The "real people" are made up. Anecdotes are great for illustrating a point. So we learn that "Bob" and "Jane" learned to communicate well and now their marriage is all better! Um, yeah. Real life is messy, and using composite characters, or those with the details changed, are just other words for fiction. Which has its place, but is always suspect in a genre that claims to be true."

-So this is great news for me.  My book is about you the reader and me the writer.  I'm not made up and neither are you.  Everything I talk about is genuinely from my own experience, research and mind.  

"2. They promise that change is easy. "We want three easy steps to overhaul our financial life, or washboard abs in 60 seconds a day," Whelan says. "But here's the unpleasant truth: Behavioral change is among the hardest things we can set out to do, and any book that promises you instant changes is selling you snake oil." Put it this way. If changing our lives was painless, you'd see a lot more svelte, rich and happy people walking around."

-Again, more good news.  There are books out there that claim that there is an easy way to quit smoking.   So let me immediately get a few things straight.  Before you decide to buy and read my book, understand this:  THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO QUIT SMOKING.  "Quitting" is almost damn near impossible and stopping flat out sucks.  No where in this book will I promise or even elude to stopping being easy.  It's a very simple process, but definitely, no way, no how, not easy.  Anyone who tries to convince you that it's easy to stop a physical and emotional addiction is trying to get you to buy their product and not very interested in whether or not you actually use the product.  My book was written to help people stop smoking, extend their lives and enhance the quality there of.  You will laugh, cry, get mad, have a positive experience and (should you decide to follow the teachings of my book) stop smoking for good.

"3. There's probably no evidence. Most self-help writers aren't in the business of documenting whether their ideas work for the majority of people who try them. "There's no efficacy data on the vast majority of diet self-help books," Whelan says. "Who knows if positive thinking actually cures people. But self-help books use rhetoric and repetition to prove their points."

-How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone advocates that you stop smoking old school.  Stop cold turkey.  Why cold turkey?  Well, for one, that's how I did it.  Secondly, when you go cold turkey you have to face your addiction head on.  Gum, patch, drugs all help but what they also do is prolong the inevitable which is getting off nicotine or what ever other chemical you just ingested to replace the feelings of nicotine.  Sooner or later you'll have to go cold turkey, so I say jump in the pool with both feet right into the deep end and learn to swim.  Now is this the most effective method to stop?  Up to 88% of people who stop and stay stopped did it cold turkey, but don't take my word for it...  please, look it up if you need to.  Even the guy who wrote the book I blasted earlier is a Cold Turkey advocate.  I just don't want to deceive you or have you read my book and then on day 2 of being off the nicotine, while you're trying not to pull out anymore of your left eyebrow go, "but the book said this would be easy!"

Should you decide to buy and read my book, do so at your own risk and know that there will be straight talk, tough love, good humor and a plan for you to kick the habit once and for all.

Let me know what you think!