The Freedom Exercise, first invented, or articulated by the French Physician, Christian Almayrac, is, to my understanding, the first and most basic exercise anyone needs to start using if they want to get free from smokes. That’s a big statement, I know, but I’ve been in this biz for almost thirty years and I’ve got proof it works.
Here’s why:
A National Gallop Survey reported in American Health Magazine found that most people change their behaviors not because of health worries or social pressures but rather because they are feeling good about themselves and want to feel still better!
Its for this reason, that I almost always introduce my new clients (and friends and neighbors and the clerk at the grocery store, and anybody else who will listen) to this basic “method,” or life game that I personally have been using off an on, (mostly on,) for over twenty years. I’ve written many books about it, and with it. Granted, it may not be the final answer to life, but it’s close enough, and especially close enough to lay the necessary foundation for quitting smoking. I’ve seen it happen hundreds and hundreds of times when people actually start doing it. So here it is:
The Freedom Exercise
The Law of Happiness:
1. Enjoying my happiness is the most important thing for me and for everybody else.
The Link:
2. I enjoy my happiness when I enjoy the thoughts I am thinking.
The Question:
3. Whenever necessary, or appropriate, I ask, Am I enjoying this thought, yes or no? If the answer is not an immediate and spontaneous yes, it’s a no.
The Action:
4. If the answer is yes (I’m enjoying my thoughts,) perfect. I’m enjoying my happiness. If the answer is no (I’m not enjoying my thoughts) then, in order to practice my happiness, I have two options:
a. drop the thought(s) I’m not enjoying and find or create a thought I enjoy more;
or
b. choose to enjoy the thought which a moment before I didn’t enjoy.
When I am enjoying my happiness, I am free.
When I’m not enjoying my happiness, I’m not free.
That’s why this is called The Freedom Exercise!
(With deep thanks and appreciation to Christian Almayrac, M.D., who first articulated this basic life game!)
I’d love to hear your feedback, your experience, your resistances and or questions about this exercise. I’ve spent much of my life with it. At one time I thought it was the final answer. It took decades to find out it wasn’t. But those were very, very happy decades!
I look forward to hearing from you.
