Tony Stops Smoking

Tony was a smoker who had been smoking for 10 years. He had been trying to quit for a while now, but no matter what he did, nothing seemed to work. His wife and children had been pressuring him to quit for some time now, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew it was bad for his health, and didn’t want his kids to grow up in a home with a smoker.

He had tried quitting before, but he never seemed to be able to stay away from cigarettes for more than a few weeks. So when his doctor told him that he needed to quit smoking, Tony was taken aback. He tried to argue that he could cut back, but the doctor was adamant. Tony was determined to make a change, so he started researching the best ways to quit smoking.

One day, he stumbled upon a smoking cessation program in his city. It was set up by a local hospital and offered free classes and support to help people quit smoking. He was intrigued, so he decided to check it out. When he arrived at the hospital, he was warmly welcomed by the staff. They told him about the program and the different options available to help him quit. He was impressed with their zeal and the resources they had.

He went through the program, but he still couldn't quite seem to get it right. He went to every session, but still couldn't shake the craving for cigarettes. He felt like he was failing, and he became increasingly frustrated with himself. He confided in one of the instructors, who told him that it was okay if he wasn't succeeding right away and that progress takes time.

Tony had an epiphany, heard about the power of meditation, and decided to give it a try in order to help him quit smoking. He began meditating daily and slowly started to notice a difference in himself. He felt calmer and more in control of his thoughts and emotions. After a few months, Tony made the decision to quit smoking for good. He knew it would be hard, but he had faith that the meditation would help him stay on track. Sure enough, Tony noticed that the longer he meditated, the easier it was to resist the urge to smoke.

He also created a schedule to spend an hour each day studying English. He bought some English textbooks, and he also subscribed to the Juice Is Loose English Podcast to practice his listening skills and downloaded apps to practice his speaking skills.

He dedicated himself to learning English, and he was determined to make it work. At first, Tony found it difficult to stick to his schedule, but with the help of his new language partners, he worked hard at it. He was tempted to take a cigarette break, but he kept reminding himself of why he wanted to quit: his kids.

Not only was quitting smoking improving his physical health, but it was also helping Tony with his mental health. He felt more focused and less anxious. Tony was also able to focus more on his studies and began to make progress in improving his English.

Words in This Story

Intriguing: interested, curious, fascinated

Taken aback: surprised, shocked

Epiphany: a sudden realization

Zeal: enthusiasm

Confided in: to tell someone secrets and personal information because you feel you can trust them.

Adamant: being firm or strong in your opinion, refusing to be persuaded

Cutback: to reduce

Stumble upon: to find something by accident

Bring yourself to do something: being firm or strong in your opinion, refusing to be persuaded

to shake something: to get rid of an emotion

Discussion

What are your thoughts on Mexico's ban on smoking in public places?

Would you like to see stricter smoking laws in your country?

Are you, or have you ever been, a smoker? When did you start smoking?

Do you know anyone who has recently quit smoking? How did they do it?