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How to stop smoking WITHOUT FEELING MISERABLE (series) - The PROVEN strategy GUARANTEED to work!
Link to the FULL SERIES - • How to stop smoking WI...
Strategy - go slow.
Namaste and welcome, it’s Rishi here from MWR.com and today, we are on day 2 of the how to stop smoking series. If you haven’t watched the previous videos then the link to them will be in the description.
So today, we are speaking about the strategy. Yesterday we mentioned how one of the biggest things that stops us from quitting is that we are too hard on ourselves. We want to quit a habit that has been there for years, in ONE day.
I want to start by telling you a really cool story - and then we will cover the strategy.
STORY
A heroin addict goes to a zen master. And he says look master, generally, I’m a pretty good guy. I don’t have anger issues, Im good to my wife, but I have a problem. Im addicted to heroine. It’s got the better of me and its affecting my life - what shall I do?
The zen master says oh, that’s no big deal. You can keep on taking heroine, just add this one thing to your routine, and then come back to me in 3 months.
Larry is very pleased - I can continue taking heroine, and I’ll still be cured? Ok go on, tell me.
The zen master gives him a piece of chalk. He says that you can use heroine daily, but it has weigh the same amount as this piece of chalk. And then every time after you take a dose, you right on the board 1. 2. Etc. That’s all, come back to me in 3 months.
So he goes away and does this, and he comes back in 3 months. And the zen master asks him, so - howd it go? And Larry says you - you’re a cheeky one. I didn’t realise it but obviously the chalk was getting smaller and smaller and my daily intake reduced and I quit.

So this is the strategy, now what does this look like for smoking.
Simple - we aim to reduce by a certain amount every month. So let me give you what I think is a realistic strategy, and depending on how many you smoke per day - you can decide for yourself.
1 - 15 - 5 months
2 - 10 - 4 months
3 - 7 - 3 months
4 - 5 - 3 months
5 - 3 - 1 month
6 - 0
Most it will take you is 5 months, even if you’re on 20 a day.
Now, the question becomes - is this really possible to execute?
You see the advantage of this approach right, is that it’s not extreme. When it’s not extreme, it’s not as traumatic. Because let’s say you’re used to smoking every hour. If you know that okay, not after the hour, but after 2 hours - Im going to get a cigarette - it’s not the end of the world. You can still function.
Yes, there is a bit of unease - but now this is where you become motivated to actually deal with cravings. You learn how to get through the craving, and make it ‘no big deal’ There are many things you can do and this is what we’ll cover tomorrow - but here’s the REALLY COOL THING
REALLY COOL THING
When you are trying to get through the craving, you force yourself to learn healthy strategies to do so. Then slowly you become better, then you become really good. Cravings don’t scare you any more.
You may even become so confident that you realise, well hold on, if I can get past cravings so well, why shall I go through this for 2 or 3 more months. I might as well, spend a few weeks getting past all my cravings and be done with it!
Whether you chose to do that or not, the point is that they no longer scare you.
So tomorrow - we are going to learn about cravings and HOW to handle them.
Besides that, remember - if you want to speak to me then this is ALWAYS an option!
These videos are simply a medium for us to connect.
If you have some stuff that you want to speak about, or deepen your spiritual practice - then this is what I’m here for. Go to meditatewithrishi.com and book a call with me. Namaste.