Participants: Raginée Edwards
Series Code: KTH
Program Code: KTH000006
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00:23 Welcome to Kickin' the Habit.
00:25 My name is Raginee Edwards, 00:26 and today we're going to talk about 00:29 maintaining a smoke free lifestyle. 00:34 Now what we're going to do at this point 00:36 is to encourage us on our journey as a nonsmoker 00:41 because now we should have overcome 00:44 the issue of withdrawal symptoms 00:46 because the withdrawal symptoms go away within a week or two, 00:49 so we're past that. 00:50 We're... 00:52 have pretty much overcome the environmental situation 00:56 of the chemical dependency and when you see something, 01:00 you kind of want to smoke that cigarette 01:03 or you see someone smoking, 01:04 you want to smoke that cigarette. 01:06 We're a little bit past that. 01:07 And we're really getting into more of a mental battle. 01:11 As you've heard before, 01:12 you know that people can stop smoking 01:15 for years and some event, 01:17 usually something pretty catastrophic 01:20 to them has happened, 01:21 whether it's a divorce or just a major transition in life 01:26 that makes somebody want to go back and pick up that, 01:29 that cigarette again. 01:31 And usually that's not because they're craving to nicotine, 01:34 the chemical dependency 01:35 because it's been 10 or plus years. 01:37 So a lot time it goes right back to the thoughts 01:40 that are inside of our heads. 01:42 So I want to go through some thoughts 01:45 that we might tell ourselves, 01:47 we want to replace those thoughts 01:49 with something that's more conducive to us 01:54 staying nonsmokers. 01:57 Thought, one of the thoughts that sometimes we can think is, 02:01 "I need one cigarette to take the edge off these cravings." 02:05 Okay, and now that again is for a little bit early 02:08 on may be when you're having a little bit crazy, 02:10 you feel like you're craving it. 02:11 Clear thinking says, 02:12 "Cravings become weaker and less frequent 02:15 with every day that I don't smoke." 02:18 Even just one puff 02:20 will feed the cravings and make them stronger. 02:23 You know, you have all these receptors in your brain. 02:25 And they're kind of, let's just imagine they're, 02:27 they're sticking up like this, 02:29 and overtime those receptors go down, down, 02:33 till you don't have any left. 02:36 Now what happens if you just smoke one, one cigarette, 02:41 all those receptors pop back up and say it just being 02:45 one receptor that pops up or two or three, 02:48 all of them fire at the same time 02:50 and the craving becomes just as strong 02:53 as if you've been smoking the whole time 02:55 even after 10 years of not smoking. 02:57 So you want to avoid going there 03:00 and taking that one puff. 03:03 Smoky thinking number two, 03:05 again these are things that are cloudy in our brain 03:08 that don't quite make sense, 03:09 so you want to get some clear thinking in there. 03:11 "It's been a long day, I deserve a cigarette." 03:16 That's not a good thought. 03:17 Clear thinking says, 03:19 "I deserve a reward after a long day 03:22 but there are better rewards than a cigarette." 03:25 A favorite meal, 03:26 a funny movie or hot shower will help me relax 03:29 without ruining my quit attempt. 03:32 Another thought that we might think, 03:34 "The urge to smoke is just too strong. 03:37 I can't take it." 03:40 Remember again, 03:41 even the strongest cravings lasts less than three minutes. 03:45 The urge will go away whether I smoke or not. 03:49 And smoking now will just 03:50 make it even harder for me to quit later. 03:53 I can find something else to do, 03:55 anything until the craving goes away. 03:58 Now remember, 04:00 the craving will go away within a few minutes 04:03 whether you smoke or not. 04:06 Here's another smoky thought, "I blew it! 04:09 I smoked a cigarette. 04:10 I might as well go ahead and finish the packet." 04:13 That's smoky thinking. 04:16 What I want you to do 04:18 is to think of yourself as a nonsmoker. 04:20 You're no longer a smoker and even if you mess up 04:22 and you slip up and you smoke that one cigarette, 04:24 you're still a nonsmoker 04:26 and that next cigarette you don't have to smoke. 04:29 The clear thinking is, 04:30 "I'm still learning how to be a nonsmoker." 04:33 It's normal to make some mistakes. 04:35 But I don't have to smoke that next cigarette. 04:39 I can learn from this mistake and keep going. 04:43 Here's another smoky thought, 04:45 "I can't deal with never being able to have another cigarette 04:48 for the rest of my life." 04:50 Clear thinking says, 04:52 "I only have to deal with today." 04:55 Quitting happens one day at a time, 04:58 sometime one hour at a time. 05:01 The future will take care of itself. 05:04 Smoky thinking says. 05:06 "I'm too grumpy without my cigarettes. 05:08 I'm going to do my friends and family a favor by smoking." 05:14 Clear thinking says, "My friends and family love me 05:17 and understand that quitting smoking now 05:20 is the best gift I can give them. 05:23 Grumpy or not, I'm not doing them any favors 05:26 by continuing to smoke." 05:29 Smoky thinking says, "I'm doing really well. 05:33 Just one cigarette won't hurt." 05:37 Clear thinking says, 05:38 "I have never smoked just one cigarette before. 05:42 One cigarette always leads to another. 05:44 I don't want to undo all my progress 05:46 by smoking a cigarette now." 05:50 Another thought that sometimes we think is, 05:52 "It's too hard to quit smoking. 05:54 I can't do this." 05:56 Clear thinking says, 05:58 "Quitting and staying away from cigarettes is hard, 06:01 but it's not impossible. 06:02 About 40 million Americans have quit smoking. 06:07 If other people can do it, so can I. 06:10 It's too important to give up on." 06:13 Another smoky thought, "I've been smoking for so long, 06:17 quitting won't make a difference now." 06:19 Now remember, I've told you before, 06:21 I've had smokers that quit at the age of 72. 06:26 It's not too late for you now. 06:29 You start noticing the health benefits right away. 06:32 Clear thinking says, 06:34 "No matter how long I've been smoking, 06:36 my body will benefit from quitting. 06:38 The healing process starts right away." 06:41 And before long, 06:42 I will start to feel healthier and look better. 06:45 Smoky thinking says, 06:47 "I know people who smoked their whole lives 06:49 and never got sick." 06:51 You hear that. 06:52 But clear thinking says, 06:53 "It's true that some people may not get sick, 06:56 but there is no way of knowing whether I will be one of them, 07:00 and I'm not willing to risk my life." 07:02 The only safe choice is to stop smoking now. 07:07 Smoky thinking says, 07:09 "I have already cut down to a safe level." 07:13 Clear thinking says, 07:14 "There is no safe level of smoking. 07:17 Smoking less is a good first step, 07:20 but there are many more benefits 07:22 when I don't smoke at all. 07:23 Plus, every cigarette that I smoke 07:26 feeds the habit and makes it that much harder to quit." 07:30 Now you've heard all the clear thinking 07:32 versus the smoky thinking. 07:34 Let's now hear from our participants 07:36 about how they have maintained a smoke-free lifestyle. 07:42 Well, the great thing about maintaining being smoke-free 07:45 is now that I'm smoke-free I don't want to smoke 07:47 because I realized how free I am. 07:50 I don't have to worry about this addiction 07:56 that's on my back. 07:57 I don't have to worry about harming my children 07:59 or myself or being in rebellion of, 08:02 you know, what the Lord wants me to do. 08:04 I know for a fact 08:06 that I'm better off without smoking. 08:08 And that in itself keeps me. 08:10 You know, being smoke-free 08:13 or having a smoke-free lifestyle 08:17 is rather simple now because, 08:20 number one there is very few people 08:24 especially at home or any that, you know, 08:27 I've to be bothered with smoke, 08:30 you know, those that do smoke, they come to my house, 08:33 they're not allowed to smoke inside 08:35 and then just the smell 08:38 of cigarette smoke now is abrasive. 08:43 It just stinks, I don't like it at all. 08:47 So it's really easy now to shun that lifestyle, 08:52 you know, for myself. 08:54 How do I maintained being smoke-free? 08:57 Joyously, I'm so happy 09:02 to have gained the victory over that, 09:06 that it's not chore to be smoke-free 09:10 because my mind is made up 09:12 and my body is cleansed from that urge 09:17 to have the cigarette. 09:20 I love those responses, again that's just so real, 09:23 so realistic, and you can really get in touch 09:26 with how they were able to maintain 09:28 a smoke-free lifestyle. 09:30 I love how Cathleen said, 09:32 just the thought of no longer harming her body, 09:36 no longer harming her child 09:37 and just simply doing God's will, 09:40 that helps her to maintain a smoke-free lifestyle. 09:44 And you hear Isaac, where he says, you know, 09:47 few people smoke now 09:48 so it makes it little bit easier. 09:51 Where I was doing most of the classes 09:53 to help people quit smoking 09:55 during the time that I was the vice president 09:57 of the Tobacco Awareness Coalition 09:59 they actually had a ban 10:01 to where nobody could smoke in public places 10:04 or even near a public place. 10:06 So it had become more and more difficult 10:09 for smokers to smoke and really be near those 10:15 who may not want to be exposed to smoke. 10:17 But not only that, it became easier for those 10:19 who want to quit because not a lot people were around them 10:22 being that trigger of the person 10:24 who is smoking around you. 10:25 You know what do I mean? 10:26 So that's just such an interesting point 10:29 that he brought up. 10:30 And then you listen to Brenda, 10:31 she was just happy to have gain the victory. 10:34 And she didn't want any thing to mess that up. 10:36 And these were all things that helped them 10:38 to maintain the smoke-free lifestyle. 10:41 Now listen to the next question 10:42 because this is really important. 10:44 Are you ever tempted to smoke? 10:46 Now you know that they have a, 10:48 some of them haven't smoked in years, 10:50 but the question is even after 10 years has gone by 10:54 and you're a nonsmoker, will you ever be tempted again? 10:56 Let's hear what they have to say. 10:59 Of course, there's always going to be times 11:01 where you're tempted to smoke, 11:03 you know, you get a familiar smell or a trigger 11:05 and Satan tries to tell you, oh, man, 11:07 you know, you miss that but it's not worthy, 11:10 and when you keep things in perspective and. 11:12 you know, way the Lord's way against the devil's way, 11:18 you have to just be logical. 11:20 You have to just not go with the emotion 11:23 because emotions will tell you anything. 11:27 Have I ever been tempted to smoke since I've quit, 11:32 since I've overcome? 11:33 No. 11:35 It's not for me, thankfully. 11:40 I don't recall being tempted to smoke. 11:45 I do recall, 11:47 I guess it would be a temptation, the urge, 11:50 I could recognize the urge 11:52 but happily I'm familiar with it, 11:56 and I happily can say no, and it's not a problem. 12:02 So Brenda said, "Yes, 12:05 I'm tempted to smoke basically." 12:07 But she said that when the urge arises, 12:10 she tells herself, no. 12:12 Just a simple no, I'm not going to do it. 12:14 And that has helped her to withstand the temptation. 12:17 Now you listened to Isaac, 12:19 he's just basically like, "No, I realize it's not for me. 12:21 I'm not going to do it anymore." 12:23 So he's not even tempted to smoke. 12:24 But you hear Cathleen, she says, "Yes." 12:27 You're always going to be tempted to smoke. 12:30 But I love how she responded to that issue, 12:33 she said, "You have to keep it in perspective. 12:37 You've to realize that, you know, 12:39 there's a Lord's way and there is a devil's way." 12:42 And she said, "You can't follow your emotions" 12:44 'cause our emotions can be a illogical. 12:46 That's interesting. 12:47 But when you think about that, you know, 12:49 sometimes emotions just take over 12:51 and if the craving is no longer strong, 12:53 you can sit back and think about that logically. 12:56 If possible, think about that logically, 12:59 God wants to save you. 13:00 The devil just simply wants to destroy you. 13:03 Which one do you want to choose? 13:05 The next question is, 13:07 how did you feel when you relapse? 13:09 Only two of our participants relapse, 13:11 so let's hear what they had to say about that. 13:15 How did I feel when I relapse? 13:19 Second time I picked up that cigarette after 13 years. 13:23 I felt kind of, number one, I felt kind of stupid 13:27 'cause I knew I wasn't going to continue on smoking. 13:32 Didn't know how long, 13:33 but I knew I wasn't going to do this. 13:35 This wasn't something that, 13:37 you know, I'm going to do for the rest of my life. 13:39 And so I felt really silly because, I'm saying, man, 13:43 why are you picking up this cigarette? 13:45 You know, you don't want it. 13:48 So it was, you know, that was itself deprecating 13:52 but I did know that, you know, this is really a stupid move. 13:58 You know, when I relapsed after 10 years 14:01 of being smoke-free, I felt shameful. 14:06 I felt annoyed with myself. 14:11 I even felt that there was no hope. 14:15 I felt hopeless because how do you get free 14:20 from something and then allow yourself to go back into it? 14:23 That was really a hard thing to deal with. 14:28 Now, Isaac and Brenda shared their experience of relapse. 14:33 You heard what Isaac said, he said, "I felt plain silly. 14:38 I didn't even want to smoke anymore 14:40 and here I'm back smoking." 14:43 You heard Brenda, she said, she was annoyed. 14:47 She felt shameful. She was hopeless. 14:51 She knew it was hard. 14:52 And when she relapsed, she became an undercover smoker 14:57 so that can make it even doubly hard 14:58 'cause she was doing this alone. 15:00 So just know if you're out there 15:03 and you've relapsed before, know that, 15:06 of course it's a very shameful experience, 15:08 it's very hard. 15:10 You may get annoyed with yourself. 15:11 You may think you're silly. 15:13 But know that these two participants 15:15 got back up, tried again, 15:17 and now they have successfully quit, 15:19 and they are nonsmokers, and you can be too. 15:22 Now the next question that we ask our participants 15:24 is what benefits did you notice after quitting? 15:30 Let's hear the good news about that. 15:33 When I first started quitting, 15:35 first week I saw improvement in my lungs. 15:38 I didn't have a heavy cough 15:41 'cause I kept a heavy cough for about a year one time. 15:45 And when I quit smoking, my lungs cleared out, 15:48 I didn't have heavy phlegm. 15:50 I could breathe easier. I could exercise easier, 15:53 everything, physically started to improve. 15:58 And after a while the withdrawals left 16:00 and so I didn't even, you know, 16:05 look for that as an alternative stress 16:08 and it was kind of empowering 16:12 because if I didn't have like a chance 16:16 to sneak out some place, it wasn't the end of the world. 16:19 You know one of the first benefits 16:21 I notice was that 16:26 I just did not want 16:32 to pick up the cigarette, 16:34 you know, that freedom 16:36 from having to have to go there 16:40 and smoke, 16:44 that freedom itself, that breaking of that chain, 16:47 that was the, I think has been the greatest benefit 16:51 of quitting smoking. 16:54 But the benefits that I noticed 16:57 after I quit the second time 17:00 was, I was more aware of the sweetness 17:04 that I knew was about my person. 17:07 I didn't have to worry about 17:09 whether anybody could smell cigarette in my hair 17:12 or my breath or my clothes, 17:15 there was no compromise with me 17:19 and I was just excited about that. 17:21 So the benefit was being able to be honest 17:24 with others and myself as I presented myself. 17:30 I like how in essence a few of them said that, 17:34 one of the benefits was not necessarily physical 17:37 but it was just empowering to now be a nonsmoker, 17:40 to know they've accomplished something. 17:42 But going to the physical, 17:44 Cathleen said that she noticed that she could breathe easier, 17:48 you know, before she had this nagging cough for so long 17:51 and now she no longer has that. 17:54 She also mentioned that she could exercise better. 17:56 I mean she could breathe better so she could exercise better. 17:59 So she knows that benefit. 18:01 Also, you know, you listened to Isaac, 18:05 I love how he described it. 18:07 He said, he... 18:08 the chain was broken that he had freedom, you know, 18:13 it's almost like when you are addicted to cigarettes 18:17 or any addiction for that matter, 18:19 you feel like you're in bondage 18:21 or you're a slave to that thing. 18:23 And it must be such an exhilarating feeling. 18:26 Oh, I know, it's an exhilarating feeling 18:28 to know that you're no longer a slave to that thing. 18:30 You're no longer in bondage. So for him that was a benefit. 18:35 And for Brenda, she said that 18:38 just being more aware of how good she smelled, 18:42 there was a sweetness about her, 18:43 I thought that was so cute how she said that. 18:44 There was a sweetness about her. 18:46 And it was something that she didn't want to compromise. 18:50 Now that's encouraging. 18:51 And this is something that I want you do. 18:54 As a nonsmoker, I called you a nonsmoker, 18:58 as a nonsmoker, 18:59 I want you to start focusing on all the benefits 19:03 that you're receiving on a day-day basis, 19:05 keep a journal, keep a log 19:07 and put down the things that you are noticing. 19:09 If you're starting to smell better, 19:11 taste better, touch better, 19:14 I mean everything that you're noticing 19:15 from just feeling better about yourself, 19:19 you want to write these things down 19:20 because that's what's going to encourage you 19:23 to keep on going. 19:24 If you're just thinking about how much you miss 19:26 having that best friend 19:27 or that thing to do with your friends, 19:29 you're going to be thinking about the cigarettes 19:31 and not about all the wonderful benefits 19:33 that you're experiencing now as a nonsmoker. 19:36 Let's look at the next question. 19:38 Now this next question I ask them especially for you. 19:43 I ask them, what are your final thoughts? 19:46 If there was anything that you wanted to tell someone 19:49 who wants to be a nonsmoker like you, 19:51 what would you say to them? 19:52 Let's listen to the words they have especially for you. 19:56 You know for anyone that has the habit 20:00 or has had a habit, 20:04 you should realize that God will ultimately help you 20:09 if you want that help. 20:11 If you really want to quit, you can quit. 20:15 For those who don't pick, have not picked up cigarettes, 20:18 don't pick them up, 20:19 it's something that is very difficult to defeat 20:24 even when you think you don't have a habit. 20:30 It's a habit. 20:34 You know, I was blessed not to really have, 20:37 you know, great withdrawals or at least withdrawals 20:39 that I felt but that doesn't say 20:42 that I wasn't hooked. 20:44 Of course while I smoke I smoked. 20:47 So regardless of how I felt about 20:50 or how I think or even how I've spoke about smoking 20:54 while I was smoking, I was hooked. 20:56 And God just blessed me to overcome 21:02 because it is something 21:03 that was not meant for mankind to do. 21:07 It's not part of His plan. 21:08 And He will bless you to defeat any of the deceiver's strategy, 21:15 he wants to kill you. 21:16 I can say to encourage anybody 21:20 if you have the problem of smoking, 21:23 you can gain the victory just by asking God, 21:27 He will give it to you. 21:29 But if you don't have enough to believe that, 21:35 then seek out help. 21:37 Don't be afraid to say, "I need help with this." 21:41 There are agencies, there are people among you 21:45 that can help you to get over that slavery of smoking. 21:51 If I c1ould tell somebody 21:53 who was caught up in addiction smoking, anything, 21:57 the only thing I would really say is to go to God 22:00 because that's the only person 22:01 who can free anybody of anything. 22:04 And to realize that you have an option, you're not stuck, 22:08 this is not something you have to be doing, 22:10 you don't have to feel like you're missing anything either. 22:14 You can be freed whole 22:17 and it doesn't 22:19 have to be a loss. 22:25 Wasn't that beautiful? 22:26 Again that message was special. It was for you. 22:30 And just to sum it up, 22:32 not to add to or take away from what they said, 22:35 but they said go to God. 22:38 God can help you. 22:40 God can give you the victory. 22:44 I was listening to a message recently. 22:46 It was kind of funny, 22:48 the speaker entailed the message 22:50 something like how big is your but? 22:54 I know it makes you laugh but this is serious. 22:58 The person who is speaking said, 23:00 a lot of times when we have cravings 23:02 or dealing with cravings, 23:03 we say something like this to ourselves 23:05 and I'm changing it up 23:06 'cause she was talking about overeating 23:08 or something like that. 23:10 Picture in your mind, 23:12 "I want to quit, but I'm too tired. 23:17 I want to quit but I deserve a cigarette. 23:21 I want to quit, 23:23 but I just can't imaging 23:24 going forever without a cigarette. 23:27 I want to quit, 23:29 but I just don't have enough self-control." 23:33 She went on to say something like, 23:36 well, I kind of added this in there 23:38 but 'cause it's just kind of goes along with it, 23:41 but she want to say, God's but is bigger. 23:46 Now I'm not trying to be facetious here. 23:49 Let's go to the word of God. 23:52 We want to look at God's but being bigger. 23:56 Go to Genesis 8:1 and you understand 24:00 what I'm talking about 'cause I'm really serious 24:02 when I say that. 24:04 In Genesis 8:1, it says, 24:11 "But God remembered Noah, 24:13 and every living thing, 24:15 and all the cattle that was with him in the ark." 24:19 If it wasn't for that but God, would they have been forgotten? 24:22 Wouldn't they have died with everyone else? 24:25 But God's but is bigger. 24:28 Let's look at another text. 24:29 I have Genesis 50:20, 24:33 and it reads, "But as for you, 24:37 you thought evil against me, 24:39 but God meant it unto good." 24:43 Again God's but was bigger 24:47 than the evil that was meant against me. 24:49 Let's look at another text. 24:52 We have 1 Samuel 23:14, and it reads, 24:59 "And David abode in the wilderness 25:01 and strong hold, 25:03 and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. 25:06 And Saul sought him every day, 25:09 but God delivered him not into his hands." 25:14 Do you feel like the temptation to smoke, 25:16 it's looking for you everyday? 25:19 Just remember, God's but is bigger 25:22 and he won't deliver you into those hands. 25:26 Another text is found in Psalm 41, 25:31 Psalm 49:15, and it reads, 25:36 "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, 25:42 for he shall receive me." 25:45 Now that's just very clear. 25:47 His power will deliver your soul from the grave. 25:52 The grave that can come at the end of smoking 25:55 and that's not what we want, we don't want to go that way. 25:58 Let's look at another text, 26:00 and this is found in Psalm 73:26, 26:07 and that reads, "My flesh and my heart faileth, 26:13 but God is the strength of my heart 26:17 and my portion forever." 26:19 Let God be your strength, amen. 26:23 Let's look at one more text, 26:26 Romans 5:8, 26:32 and it reads, 26:34 "But God commendeth his love toward us, 26:38 that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 26:47 Now I want you to remember 26:49 that little analogy that we just put forth there. 26:53 You may have a lot of buts, 26:55 you may have a lot of questions in your mind. 26:57 Is this something that you can really do? 27:00 I want you to remember 27:01 that the buts in the word of God, 27:03 when God intervenes, 27:06 there is healing, there is deliverance, 27:08 there is the entrance into a whole new life 27:12 you never thought was imaginable. 27:15 Now remember when you've looked at these personal testimonies 27:20 of all the participants, 27:22 you see that they had ups, they had downs, 27:25 there were relapses, there were struggles, 27:28 there were tears, 27:30 but they are nonsmokers 27:33 and you can be too. 27:37 My final thought with you is, don't give up. 27:42 If you lose a battle, 27:43 you do not have to lose the war. 27:46 God is on your side. 27:48 He wants to see you live and live a happy life. 27:52 The devil just wants to destroy you. 27:54 Learn to satisfy that craving within, 27:57 with God himself. |
Revised 2016-09-29