Great story! This is such a powerful ending, thanks a lot! It gave me the same memory I had when I was a kid surrounded by adults who were smoking everywhere!
I salute your good courage to stick with the abstinence regimen. My dad did the same thing and stopped cold turkey one day he had had enough. He didn't want to be a slave to it anymore and he is still going strong and stronger every day, over 20 years later...
The brain has learned to connect your "good memories" with the cigarette, thus, it is looking for dopamine and the likes by sending you these messages. The only thing you need to focus on when it comes up, make new memories of goodness where you treat yourself, love yourself. this way, you build the new memories you brain will connect to in the near future, eradicating the old "good memories" that are still lingering and connected to apparent self-love.
Namaste :)
Thank you! You have it exactly right, the betraying brain has associated even the simplest things with smoking in an attempt to lure me back in. I am fortunate enough that I am far enough out of it now though that Ican plainly see the negative "benefits" to it. It was the icing on the cake when I smelled the guy. When you smoke you just dont really smell it!
Namaste!
Wow nice post!