Quit Smoking: Why People Do Bad Things (Even When They Know They Shouldn't)

Do you do Bad Things? Even though you know you shouldn't?

It's not your fault. It really isn't. You know you should stop doing it, but no matter how much you know that, and how much you try, you just can't stop!

Everyone knows how to lose weight. Don't eat fattening foods. Exercise. Everyone knows how to give up smoking. Dont light the cigarette. Yet having this knowledge just isn't enough. Sometimes even having the desire isn't enough! Time and again I hear about people who get really close to quitting smoking. They can get all the way down to one or two cigarettes a day, but just can't give up those last two. Many even make it all the way down to zero, but the cravings, oh the cravings! They are wretched, those cravings. Most will go back to smoking within the first few days. They can cut away most of the "stuff" that keeps them glued to the cigarettes, even not be addicted to nicotine anymore(!), but there is just something deep in their core that magnetically pulls them back in, like two lovers who know they are bad for each other but just can't help themselves.

What is this thing? What is at this core?

Let me take a step back for a moment. How many adults do you know who are happy? I mean really, truly happy? Think that question is foolishness? Let me ask you this. How many people do you know who love their work? I'm talkin' jump out of bed in the morning, can't wait to start. Sadly, the percentage is very small. Why is this?

We live in an interesting quick-fix culture. People don't really have to deal with their issues. We've got:

* television
* movies
* shopping
* toys
* and hitting the gym

to distract us and make us feel better. Even more than that, many people's issues are quite buried. Think of dreams that were squashed when we were young. "An artist? You could never make a living at that! You should be a doctor!" People often forget what their dreams once were.

As a result, I see an awful lot of unhappy, unfulfilled people walking around. They don't know what is bothering them, they just have that gnawing feeling that there must be more. Advertisers pray on this, selling us more and more bottles and gizmos to give us that ever elusive Happiness.

True inner needs? People either:

* think they're impossible to fulfill
* are too scared and resigned to fulfill them
* or are so disassociated from those needs that they don't even know what they would be even if they had to guess!

All those "bad" things -- smoking, overeating, gambling, alcohol, the list goes on and on -- are easy ways to fill the void. Smokers will be able to relate to this one -- if you've just had a fight with your family, what do you do? You go for a smoke. Smoking makes it feel like the problem goes away. (I call this the "smokescreen." Har har!)

I'll let you in on a little secret--the real reason it's so hard to quit is not the nicotine. It's this void-filling. When you quit smoking (or any bad habit), you're suddenly faced with real life. All those stresses and needs that you've been avoiding? There they are, pulling at your coat tails, yelling, "Pay attention to me! Pay attention to me!" If you got in touch with your real inner needs and took baby steps to start fulfilling them, you would actually have little desire for cigarettes. It's true! I see it happen time and again in my Stop Smoking Coaching practice.

How do you do that, you ask? Here are some baby steps that you can start trying out now:

* Next time, instead of taking that quick fix--stop.
* Have a little quiet time and listen to what your insides have been trying to tell you.
* Try journaling -- don't edit your thoughts, just write.
* Some people find meditation and yoga to be great accesses.
* Try deep breathing.
* Go for a quiet, leisurely walk by yourself.
* Personally, I find it easiest to just start noticing where in life I seem to be avoiding things the most, or if I want something more immediate and active, doing a mindmap (a word drawing) to figure out what I'm really thinking.

For each person, the key to figuring out your needs is different. Play around with it, don't give up! You'll be glad you did!

Jill Binder is The Stop Smoking Coach with a 90 day program to show people the 8 steps to quitting smoking forever, with a 100% success rate. She is the author of "What's Your Smoking Type?" and has appeared on "Daytime" (TV), "Radioactive Women" (Radio), "Good Times" (magazine), and "Metro Toronto Today" (newspaper).

You can sign up for her newsletter, "YourTurn - Turn Your Weaknesses Into Your Perfect Life" at http://www.StopSmokingCoach.ca

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Why Is Calpe Such A Popular Destination?

Calpe is a beautiful town, situated on the northern part of Alicante Province, on the Costa Blanca region. Once an ancient fishing village, Calpe has now become a large scale charming tourist town. Steeped in history, Calpe is a fantastic blend of ancient Valencian culture and modern culture. Even before the centuries, the place was visited and settled by many voyagers. The remains of Iberian tribes found on the place are a fine example for this. It has also been revealed that the Romans, Christians, and Moors once settled here. Its strategic location near Benidorm, which is only a 20-minute drive away, and such scenic towns as Denia makes it one of the sought-after destinations not only in Spanish regions but also in the world. In this article, we will discuss some of the prime attractions of the place.

Significant of the Calpe attractions is the Penon de Ifach a towering 332 m high rock, which is the highest in the entire Mediterranean, dividing the shorelines of Calpe into two. Penon is of immense historical significance, as its foot was earlier the site of a Roman factory for drying salt fishes, and this spot is now known as the Queen's Baths. Besides, several other interesting things are associated with this landmark. Declared a sheltered natural reserve in 1987, this rock takes after the rock of Gibraltar, and renders awe-inspiring views of Costa Blanca regions and the bays surrounding it. Also, it is home to some of the rare plants as well as sea birds.

Another great attraction of the place is its golden sandy blue flag certified beaches, including Playa de la Fossa with superb facilities such as tennis courts, children's park areas, and bowling greens, and Playa Cantal Roig a rocky as well as scenic beach. The la fossa and the bay of Gasparet are the other prominent beaches in the area.

In addition, splendid options are available for those who want to explore the history of the place, with its countryside filled with a multitude of ancient houses containing arched porticos; historic castles like the Moorish Castle overlooking the Mascarat ravine; and museums such as the Fiestas Museum and the Museum of Archeology all of them housing historic monuments and murals. Also, worth mentioning are the Calpe's old Town Walls and the ancient churches including Iglesia Vieja a classic example of the Mudejar-Gothic architecture. Calpe's attractions also cover an awesome modern marina situated along the old fishing port and Calpe fish market.

Above all, Calpe offers wonderful opportunities to enjoy an excellent range of water sport activities such as kayaking, windsurfing, yachting, and waterskiing, apart from other activities like rock climbing, trekking, sightseeing, and dining, with a chain of restaurants and bars offering delectable cuisines and savoring drinks.

By road, Calpe is easy reachable via the main highways. Further, Calpe is only a 50 minutes drive from the airport of Alicante.

Calpe's pleasant climate, scenic tourist attractions and its proximity to many of the major towns, attracts holidaymakers from across the globe.

Lee Smith writes about Calpe in Alicante, Spain

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