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Quitting Addiction Exercises
 One of the biggest keys to quitting addiction is to know (and have organized) what exercises you need to do to help in quitting gambling. On this web site and on many others there are mental exercises you can do. But to simply read about them and then to do them for a few days is not the answer. The day one process includes starting a journal to write down every exercise you come across so that you can reference them at any time in the future. It does not need to be fancy; a Wal-mart one subject notebook for a dollar is just fine.
The way I would organize the journal would be to reserve the first 4 pages for exercises you know you would like to do every day. In the next section I would jot down idea’s that seem to be good, but ones that you are not sure you want to review every day. Over time if you change your mind about one of the exercises, you could promote it to the front everyday section.
You can fill your journal with quitting addiction idea’s every day (that you find a new exercise). You can write down key points from my articles or any articles on the internet. You can put in idea’s you get from overcoming addiction books. You can write down idea’s you get at addiction help groups you attend. The point is to write down all the great ideas you hear or read that you think will work for you, so that you can have instant access to them in the future. Most of us don’t realize how quickly we forget things. We can’t afford to forget things that affect our future, family, finances, freedom and many other things.
The following are examples of some types of exercises you may want in your journal.
1: Form a habit to say to yourself 5 times a day that “my addiction causes me financial destruction. It has in the past and it will in the future.”
2: Have a list of the benefits of quitting your addiction. Write down all the benefits then memorize the top 5 and top ten benefits. This will allow you to say the benefits multiple times each day until you get on more solid footing in your recovery.
3: Pray often each day “Lord keep me from temptation” (This is part of the Lord’s prayer from the Bible).
Every day keep adding ideas that work for you. You can choose to work on your journal all day. But if your addiction is long term it is more important to make it a habit to review it or work on it every day.
Even when you are having one of those days where you strongly suspect that you are going to fall, still, review your journal. Maybe it will help turn you around. But it will at the very least keep you in your new routine as long as possible. You never know when fighting off that craving for as long as possible will lead to you never giving in again as long as you live.
Don’t be mad at God or at people who can help you. Let somebody in and be open to their help.
Never forget the #1 rule for quitting gambling: Never give up.
Part Two: The Answer
George’s life was spiraling downward so he went to the sand dunes to contemplate how to avoid destruction in the future. While striding up the dunes he paused to look at beautiful lake Michigan, sparkly, clear and blue. Then he noticed a man passing him. He had on a t-shirt that said, “The Answer” on the back.
“How you doing, the man said with a smile?”
“Okay… so tell me, what is the answer?”
The man looked at George, his eyes conveyed a spirit of wisdom. He said, “Most people chase pleasure, and gain. The Bible tells us to pursue purpose and purity.”
“How would I start doing that,” George asked.
“Attack sin systematically. Biblical Paul was not perfect, but he always attacked sin.”
“I could never be perfect,” George said.
“Neither could Paul, but he always repented quickly. He always had a plan for how he would change. He knew that purity was the answer.”
“Oh, so he planned better and tried harder.”
“Right, and he knew the scripture. He knew what he what striving for was right and great.”
“Yeah, I am always confused about everything.”
“For me, if the Bible says do it that way, I believe it, try to do it, and think that it will make my life great.”
“Well… I try to do Christian things sometimes and my life is not great.”
“Here’s a tip. The answer is to get rid of the sometimes in that sentence and to believe the Bible until it starts a fire burning in your soul. Paul had this huge fire burning, and that is why he knew what he knew. That is why he attacked sin.”
“So, if I do that I can have a great life?”
“One last thing. Always pray and ask the Holy Spirit what to do. Paul always tried to help others, to shine the light of Jesus wherever he went.”
“I am no good at that type of thing.”
“Jesus picked the 12 disciples mostly from fisherman. He wanted people who would try, not those with a religious degree.”
“I am willing to try.”
“Then you have everything you need to find the answer.”
To buy my book with stories on quitting click https://amzn.to/3O6iGLc