How a Single Photo Helped Me Quit Smoking After 10 Years of Addiction Lawrence Okoro
How a Single Photo Helped Me Quit Smoking After 10 Years of Addiction Lawrence Okoro: In October 2018, I
attended a wedding ceremony with my friend @Lumidee120. We decided to take some pictures for the gram,
we gave ourselves couple of shots, but when I got home and wanted to select the nice shots to post, I couldn’t find any to post
because they all looked horribly terrible. This picture below was the best I could find from over 15 photos, so you can imagine how the other 14 were.
But that night I told myself the truth that I was drying and dying off.
I was a chained smoker for over 10 years. Within these years I lost friendships, relationships, business deals & respect,
due to smoking. But I never had the courage to even convince myself that I could quit smoking, let alone stopping it.
How a Single Photo Helped Me Quit Smoking After 10 Years of Addiction Lawrence Okoro: the smokers
Believe me when I say “every smoker” knows smoking is a bad and dirty habit, but it feels like taking their comfort away
from them when the thought of quitting comes (which is a huge mirage). That’s why it’s more difficult to talk a smoker into quitting,
than talking a terror!st to quit terror!sm.
Looking at the picture I knew I had to quit smoking, but I never knew how I would go about it, so I continued smoking (if I perish, I perish mentality).
6th Jan, 2019, I woke up as usual with a sharp piercing pain straight down the middle of my chest through to my back. It was a familiar
pain that started about a year earlier, but that morning for whatever reason, I felt so comfortable with it. I was very angry with myself
when the thought of “you’re only k!lling yourself” came to my head. That was what changed everything for me.
I decided to quit smoking even without knowing how I was going to quit. My first step was to knock at my neighbours apartment (a fellow smoker).
I gifted him my half pack of cigarette (brown Benson & Hedges) with my 2 lighters. He was shocked as no smoker would be that kind to gift you
their lighters, they can gift you a truck load of cigarettes or even their last stick, but not their lighter.
the smoking madness
He asked what the madness was about, I told him I’ve stopped smoking. You don stop wetin! he shouted. Before he started laughing and rolling on the floor.
He made the most silly quote, but one that will stick with me for life “Ashawo wey marry, na just holiday she go”. My brother, when you come back I no go give you back these lighters o, he said.
That quote was another driving force for me as I didn’t want to be the “Ashawo wey marry”.
Fast forward, It’s been 5 years since 6th January, 2017 morning when I made the decision to quit smoking. I have never lit a stick of cigarette, I’ve been completely smoke free.
Since then I have assisted smokers around the world to quit smoking by mentoring them on the steps I took on my journey to a smoke free lifestyle.
the invitation
Lawrence Okoro extends an invitation to those seeking to overcome their smoking habit, offering his support and guidance to help them quit.
If you’re ready to break free from smoking, feel free to reach out to him for assistance and encouragement.
© LawrenceOkoro PG (X_twitter)