You’re not the boss of me!

Bad habits got you down? Is there something about yourself that you wish would just disappear? Like smoking or sugar or caffeine? It’s time to show them who’s the boss!!

I quit smoking a long, long time ago. Before I did that I said I want to quit smoking for almost 10 years. I even tried quitting smoking pretty much every day for five years. For me, the idea of forever was simply too much to handle. I couldn’t believe that this would be the very LAST cigarette I would ever smoke.

I even tried going to a hypnotist. I was instructed to come with a new pack of cigarettes—and cash payment. I remember it all very clearly. The guy took out a yellow circle with black pinwheel designs on it and spun it around and around. He was muttering something—that I don’t remember. All I could think was that this felt like a scene out of a low budget movie. My eyes never drooped. My mind was thinking about pretty much anything but quitting.

Finally, he stopped and asked ‘You feel pretty different, right?’ I responded ‘I don’t know.’ Then he told me to take the fresh pack, unwrap them and tear up the box. What?!?! Yup, tear up the box. I did. I believed I thanked him, because I am that kind of person. I immediately went out and bought a new pack of cigarettes. That cigarette tasted so good.

Since that time, I’ve tested out a new model: I will not have _____ (fill in the blank) for one week. Because let’s face it, if you can’t last a week, it is the boss of you. Nothing wrong with having that boss for a while, but eventually you may want to turn the tables. The real thing I want to say is that the LAST of anything is usually sad or at least bittersweet. Don’t make it the last, just make it a break and see what happens after a week.

2 thoughts on “You’re not the boss of me!

  1. I do think it’s the thought of permanence that keeps us from making moves, or even decisions. I had a “boss of me” who thawed me from my frozen place of inaction when he told me, “you can’t make a mistake I can’t fix, just go for it”. Since I’m now the boss of me I still remind myself periodically that mistakes can be fixed, nothing has to be permanent. When we’re trying to shake off other “bosses” it doesn’t hurt to remember “one day at a time”.

    1. Dear Katie,

      I love that story! You can’t make a mistake I can’t fix. We all need someone in our lives who tells us that. Thank you for being the one who did it today.

      Best,
      Dr. Mo

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