Resisting Temptation only takes a Second

I was always one of those people who insisted they had an addictive personality. Over the years, I’ve blamed the majority of my problems on this all too easy cop out. But the truth of the matter is that I was weak minded.

Now I know this may touch a nerve with many of you, because it is one of the most common excuses we give for the majority of our failures. But I’m here as living proof that it’s possible to change.

My three main vices were smoking, drinking and gambling, and each one has had a considerable and often painstaking effect on my life over the years …

Smoking

I started at just 15 years old, then worked my way up to 40-a-day by the age of 35. I later developed asthma and began starting having problems with my circulation. I can still remember administering my asthma inhaler then puffing on a fag. That’s how hooked I was!

Drinking

Again, I had my first drink around 15 years old. By the time I was just 23, I was getting serious withdrawal symptoms. This included spontaneous shaking of my hands and head. I’m embarrassed to say I even pissed myself in my sleep a few times. Nice!

Gambling

Of all my vices, this is the one that has effected my life the most. Just to touch on it briefly, I can tell you that I have likely lost a couple of hundred thousand British pounds over the years. I have also lied to the people that I love many times to cover up my problem. As an example, my wife and I were given three grand as a wedding present and I lost the lot! (Yes, I know. I would have left me too!)

To be quite honest, I’m not really sure how I made it through to write this essay today. I don’t know if it’s divine intervention, or whether I might be ‘Unbreakable,’ just like Bruce Willis (Bless you Bruce. Best action hero ever!) But there is nothing better than getting a second chance at life, so I decided to work extremely hard to change my ways. I soon discovered that it wasn’t that hard after all.

It is all about your mindset!

All those awful things that I did back then, I used to call my addictions. But I was wrong. They were plain and simply just extremely bad decisions. Day after day and one after the other.

But now, whenever these temptations are presented to me; either by my own restless psyche or by other humans (and boy, are they presented to me every single day of the week!) One after the other, I have a very simple and succinct answer to give …

‘Would you like a cigarette Simon?’

‘No Thanks.’

‘Fancy a glass of red wine babe?’

‘Ah, no thanks luv!’

‘Do yeh fancy a trip down the casino mate?’

‘Not today buddy, sorry. I’m busy writing my life story.’

It really is this easy, I promise. Whatever bad habit that you have, and however long you’ve had it. One brief second of decision making can change your life for ever. It just takes some practice …

‘fancy a cheesecake reader?’

‘Ah no thanks loser. I’m going out for a run!’

See. It really is that easy. Just do it as often as possible and it will stick like a habit in its own right. But this is a habit you will definitely want to keep for good. It may well change your life forever.

Thanks for reading and have a temptation free day!

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Originally published at https://medium.com/never-stop-writing/resisting-temptation-only-takes-a-second-b4ba6937e5d0