I hear those people say that they would like to stop but can't because it's just too hard.
This is preposterous! The only reason you can't stop is because you simply don't want to. No team meeting, patch, book, hypnotherapy session or meditation is going to help you. You have to want to do something in order to do it.
How do I know this?
I used to be addicted to gambling. I would put every penny I had into a fruit machine. If I won on a machine, I would put the winnings back. This wasn't down to stupidity - it was down to addiction.
How did I stop?
I told myself many times that I wanted to stop, but every time I stopped, I started again. This was because deep down I knew I didn’t want to. After a few years of continuing to gamble and having no money, I realised that I really did want to stop, and you know what - I did.
It was really simple too. I really didn’t want to gamble and therefore I didn’t. After a couple of years of not gambling, I found myself going out from time to time and while having a drink or two, I would end up on a fruit machine, but rather than losing all my money and falling into the trap of addiction, I simply put a couple of pound in and then stopped - win or lose. There was no drive to continue, no drive to keep going in order to win the jackpot. It was just a simple flutter, a little time to kill.
Same with smoking. I used to smoke, but after a year or so, I just stopped - because I wanted to. But again, after many years, I found myself having a sneaky fag. But after that one - I again had no more. The addiction didn’t come back, and it never would, why? Because I no longer smoke, and I no longer want to, it’s as simple as that.
What I’m doing now (To prove my theory) is to stop an addiction that I have had for well over twenty years - biting my skin! Yeah, you read that right. I have always bitten the skin around the tip of my fingers. People always say "Stop biting your nails" I would then say “I’m not, I’m biting my skin". But now I want to stop, in fact, I stopped a week ago. I have had a little bite, but as soon as I realise (which is straight away in fact) I stop biting.
I guarantee that I will not continue to bite my skin as of a week ago. And that it will remain that way till the day I die.
Stop believing you have a habit or addiction that you can’t stop. If you wanted to - you would. The fact that you can’t - means you don’t want to.
Simple!
If this post offends you, please understand that this is my opinion and if you are finding that you are unable to stop a bad addiction that you have - look inside yourself and truly ask if you really want to stop or not. I have asked myself this question and I can honestly say that when I said I want to stop - I did.
