Quitting smoking isn't a one-legged task!

Tried to think of a stranger title, but I just couldn't come up with one. The important thing is that it got your attention.

The stool or more correctly, the legs of the stool are a metaphor for what I feel is one of the most important aspects of quitting smoking - SUPPORT. Picture if you will sitting down at the computer to write a letter on a stool with only one leg and how difficult it would be to remain on it. Sure, you can say 'If the leg is in the middle of the stool, balancing shouldn't be too hard.' True, but what say the one leg is attached to the outer perimeter as normal? Do you think it would be much harder to concentrate on finishing your letter if most of your attention is spent trying not to fall over? Probably very difficult, I would think.

Would adding a second leg help? Of course. By concentrating on a stool that only moves side to side or back and forth, our attentions can be more focused on the goal we are seeking to accomplish.

What if we brought the leg count up to three? Is it any more stable? Without a doubt. It has been stated that three legs is the minimum to attain perfect stability. And with this stability, we are free to focus our attention on the task at hand.

So what's the point I am trying to make? A very simple one actually. By enlisting the help of support friends (legs) the efforts of quitting smoking won't fall solely on you. There will be a couple of other friends there to assist you. Even four or five buddies to call on would not be excessive.

Although having five legs of support on a stool may look funny, having this number of support people at your disposal when quitting smoking is smart. But be sure to inform whomever you ask to help you that they don't harp on or badger you about quitting, only to be there when you need their valued assistance. And if you are courageous enough, and I hope you are, make a pact with yourself that if at any time after you quit you are tempted by yourself or someone else that having 'just one' wouldn't hurt, you must call all your 'legs' and say "Hi, it's me. I've decided to start smoking again." If you can make it through all of these phone calls and still believe that 'one' won't hurt, I'd be very surprised.

Get the right support and you will be free.

How to quit smoking permanently