A seahorse, a wild horse,
a domesticated horse and a unicorn…
“A seahorse, a domesticated horse, a wild horse, and a unicorn…” enter a bar?
Not really, however, that’s a common opening setup for many jokes. Only that this, here, is not going to be funny. But at least, for some, it could be as deep as the ocean itself — home to seahorses and to other beautiful creatures alike.
This will be about something many of us feel (or fear) when faced with the perspective of quitting smoking and vaping. I’ll keep it short; the book is the long version, if you need more.
Let’s start with the actual horses. Domesticated Horses wear blinders, limiting their view of reality. Likewise, smokers often don mental blinders (or blockers) that prevent them from realizing how easily they could quit smoking, vaping, or chewing tobacco.
And then, when you tie a domesticated horse to a pole, it stays — even if the pole is stable or flimsy. That horse, weighing over 1,000 pounds, doesn’t get the Horse-Power memo — that it has the strength to leave at any point in time! Similarly, a smoker or vaper struggling to quit is not aware yet of their innate capability of ending this dependency…. yesterday! (But seriously… you could end it now, if you decided.)
Like many smokers out there, I saw myself for the longest as that domesticated horse — helpless to leave. It was hard to imagine there was a way out. But the moment I quit cold turkey… I could clearly see that my spirit animal was a wild horse — there was no doubt!
What about Seahorses? Unfortunately, this (photo) happened! Everyone agrees that a seahorse with a Q-tip is not something desirable, and it goes against the laws of nature. Well, a human with a cigarette or a vape is not a harmonious pairing either… Guess what, then? When you quit tobacco, you go natural!
Next, The Unicorn. The subtitle of the book is, “Be A Unicorn!” I wouldn’t want to spoil it, explaining what I meant by that. The book builds to it — you’ll discover the significance for yourself. Besides, Smoking, Who? serves as a road map, showing you the ‘way out.’ It took me years to find it, while I was stuck in what felt like a labyrinth.
So, to all the sweet Seahorses and Domesticated Horses out there, get ready to join the wild pack once you’ve kicked the habit — because… you can!
