How I persuaded a man who smoked for 30 years to give up in 5 minutes.
I was delighted to read the recent UK government plans to wipe out cigarette smoking by 2030(1).
Let me tell you how I persuaded a man who smoked for 30 years to give up in 5 minutes.
At the time I was a final year medical student. I was asked to see a patient. I took a history from him. I noticed the results of some investigations. I asked him if he was a smoker. He said he had smoked for 30 years. However, his wife hated his smoking. He had to smoke outside and on coming in he had to change his clothes.
I asked him if he had any grandchildren. He said he did. I asked him how much he loved them. He said “more than anything in the world.” I asked him if he wanted to see them grow up. Again he said “more than anything in the world.” I asked him how old his grandchildren were. He said “6 and 8.”
I then hit him with a bombshell.
“Sir on looking at these results I have. I give you two choices. You can either watch your grandchildren grow up or you can continue to smoke. However, if you continue to smoke you will not live to see the younger one’s 10th birthday.”
I have never seen a man’s eyes fill up with tears so quickly. He took the cigarettes from his pocket and threw them in the bin. He never touched one again. His wife who was sitting next to him couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She said “I’ve been trying to get him to give up since we first met. It’s the only thing about him I hate. You’ve done in minutes what it’s taken me over 30 years.”
All you need to give up smoking is a strong enough reason why. If they “why” is strong enough the “how” will always follow.
Very sadly this man has passed away. I have often wondered if had I intervened with this beforehand if he’d still be with us now.
Let me put it this way. If you have children or grandchildren consider this story and give serious consideration to giving up smoking now.
I work very closely with a very good hypnotherapist and if you want to give up smoking I would advise that the best £11.99 you’ll ever invest is her smoking cessation CD which you can get by going to http://www.hypnotherapyormskirk.com/offers/
(1) Smoking must be ABOLISHED in the UK within 11 years say Ministers in ambitious new plan https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1150886/smoking-news-cigarettes-tobacco-ban-UK-Department-of-Health-2030-health-news (Date checked 13th July 2019)
