Making It A Little More Interesting

One of the continuing failings of humanity is that we can be appallingly cruel to one another. When you announce that you are giving up smoking, you may expect people to be supportive, but it is not uncommon to find that someone will utter the dreaded words: “I’ll bet you [unspecified amount of money] that you don’t make it through a week without cracking.”. If this is the case, then your best option is to take that bet. If you know you can do it, then there is no harm in making a little bit of money into the bargain.

What you need to avoid though is taking the bet and then once you have got through the specified time barrier starting to smoke again. This is tempting, of course. It’s easy to think “I’ll have the money and then start smoking again”, so it is worth including a stipulation that you will pay the money back if you give up giving up. All of this may sound a little bit cynical, but if you are keen to give up yet assailed by temptation, adding an extra layer to your defenses is no bad idea.

People’s cynicism is a tough hurdle to overcome after deciding that you will give up smoking. Proving them wrong is not just a matter of you being right and them being stupid. In fact, if you can show them that you have inner strength, you will also prove a point to yourself. This can be worth a lot in future.