Being Honest with Yourself
Everyone knows that smoking is dangerous. This is not 1952 and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve certainly seen the statistics or have been taught. However, I challenge you to be honest and true to yourself.
When you were taught about the dangers of smoking, you were likely not smoking then so the truth didn’t mean much to you. It wasn’t enough to scare you away from starting right?
The brain works in mysterious ways. When studies and statistics pop up and challenge bad behavior, if this is behavior we enjoy, the brain will tune it out. I’ll give you an example. Some people love sugar. They are so addicted to sugar that nothing anybody says will make them stop eating sugar. They are the ones who will justify eating sugar and they will not hear the studies and statistics about the dangers. They will say things like, “Oh, I’ve had a hard week, I deserve this chocolate cake.” Or, “This type of sugar isn’t as bad so I don’t have to worry.” You can substitute that addiction with anything and you will hear the same stories over again. Think about alcohol, drugs, porn, food, etc.
You need to be completely aware and hear the facts. Smoking is dangerous and if you continue to smoke you are more likely than not to end up with a chronic disease, condition, or death. Forget anecdotal evidence. I do not care if your granddad lived to 95 and smoke 5 packs per day. Statistically speaking, that is not going to happen to you.
Health Dangers of Smoking
If you continue to smoke you are likely to get (or may have already:)
- Lung Cancer and other cancers
- Heart disease
- Asthma
- COPD
- Chronic bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Ulcers
- Leg cramps
- Stroke
- Death
You know the statistics so do not think you are special or super human. Do not think that you can do other things to combat the likeliness of a terrible thing happening to you. I had a client tell me that he eats healthy and works out and believed that because he does those things, smoking is less dangerous. That’s wrong. While those things help the human body and will help you in quitting smoking it does not combat the dangers of smoking.
Carbon Monoxide Dangers
You have heard of carbon monoxide right? You probably know not to use a wood burning stove in your home or leave your car running in the garage. But did you know that smokers have a high amount of carbon monoxide in their blood?
The reason this is scary is because it’s not usually enough to kill you but it’s enough to make you sick. You may think you’re feeling unwell because of smoke in your lungs or perhaps something else but if you are having any of the following symptoms, chances are, it’s from carbon monoxide:
- Increased heart rate
- Head aches
- Inability to tolerate exercise
The carbon monoxide in your body reduces the amount of oxygen your cells receive. Without the proper oxygen you are on the road to getting heart disease. Also, second hand smoke causes carbon monoxide levels to rise significantly so think about those around you too.
Reflecting on your Own Health
I want you to reflect on your own health. We’re not keeping score here but just jot down or think about this in your head. Do you have any of these problems?
- Coughing
- Bad breath
- Trouble breathing
- Stamina
- Last time you were checked for lung cancer?
- Blood pressure
- Headaches
- Gum problems
- Dental problems
- Wrinkles
Here’s another statistic. Smokers get sick more often. How much time have you missed from work? Be honest, about your sickness. While you may not think your flu, bronchitis, headache, etc. was caused from smoking, you don’t know that it wasn’t either.
This blog post is not to frighten you or try to scare you out of smoking. This post is here to challenge you to be true to yourself and to reflect on the fact that you are in danger.
If you take my course on Udemy you can be nicotine free forever. This course comes with a downloadable workbook that will walk you through each step.
