Blowing Out the Smoke

As I drink a cup of British Breakfast, I am contemplating a call left on my business line at midnight (yes, 12:00 am on the dot, and yes, I have my business line transferred to the house when I'm not at the office). I ignored it and went back to sleep. Then at the crack of dawn, it began to gnaw at my paranoia. Was something wrong at the office? Worse was something wrong with the office?

So, I got out of bed, shuffled to my desk and checked the message. Wouldn't you know it, at the midnight hour someone decided to give up the ciggies. Rather poetic timing and all. (So, if you who called is reading this, you have my appreciation for the timing even if it did take me out of Egypt.)

Smokers. Hmmmm. My personal problem child - in that it is always the smokers it seems that are the problem child. I think there may be a humor book out there that needs to be written about hypnosis and smokers.

Dearest clients and potential clients who may be considering using a hypnotist to curb the ciggies, I am not mocking you. Many, many people have kicked their smoking habit in the butt using hypnosis as a tool, and many have been just fabulous clients. However, in my experience, smokers are the ones who call in the middle of the night (and don't let me stop you from doing this if you need to, most people are away from their business phones then), the ones who do not return phone calls or emails, the ones who miss appointments, and a variety of other antics. Here's the thing, we as hypnotist understand your plight. It's not just about getting over an addiction or giving up a bad habit, it is giving up a friend who you may have come to believe is a comfort and a joy (though not a true friend, but a creature that takes and takes, is really abusive, and has its own agenda that cares nothing for you and only about making money for big tobacco). With this in mind, if you have made an appointment with a hypnotist to have a session and you decide you are not ready to give up smoking, please, please, please, just call and cancel the appointment. Your hypnotist will understand and not think poorly of you. It's just not your time to quit and that's okay. That way, when you are truly ready, no bridges will have been burned, no guilt, and the path for liberation will be always open.

So, if you are a smoker trying to quit and have questions, please post them. I or some brillant hypnotist who reads this blog will respond. Or if you are a hypnotist with a good smoker story, please consider sharing it here.

Tomorrow I will talk about ducks.