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Stick To Those Tough Decisions

I increased the volume of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. I puffed hard. The little red-headed cigarette burnt impatiently. I could feel it reach the bottom of my lungs. I flew to cloud nine. I rolled my eyes and let my mind float with the music. Then, I penned this promise:

“I’m done. I have enjoyed this. I have suffered enough from this.

“Now, I vow to stop smoking.

“One day, I will regret this, but it is my choice. This is my last cigarette.”

Just like that two years ago, I decided to quit smoking. If I claim that the decision was spontaneous and successful, I would be lying. Truthfully, I had tried a million times, and I had failed repeatedly. However, since 2016, whenever I felt tempted to smoke, I reread my promise. It gives me hope and the self-admiration to remain tobacco free.

Sometimes people condemn themselves when they fail to keep a promise. Self-disrespect promotes surrendering easily. It only takes two months to form a new habit, but if you lose respect in yourself, your journey to success will take longer or forever. More than one billion people struggle to stop tobacco consumption. Undeniably, quitting proves difficult, but it’s not impossible. Therefore, I want to share this.

Make a decision and stick to it. Have faith in yourself, respect yourself more and, above all, keep trying.

I am Arkar Kyaw, and this is my perspective.