9. Awareness is a key issue. If you start feeling a craving and don't bring awareness in immediately, you might succumb to the illusion that it is your voice and your weakness and feel miserable. However, if you bring awareness in, you will realize that there are two entities at war inside your head, and the one with the sly suggestions of defeat and relapse is not you but addiction.

Awareness will allow you to be discerning and to immediately engage yourself and fight back. Awareness will remind you that you have a choice; that you are not a victim. Awareness will remind you to think right and act right.

Awareness will also remind you to expect pain and even welcome it as part of the holy war you are fighting. Once you have remembered, the battle is won.

Now this may get tricky. Without the presence of awareness you might forget, and so believe the seductive voices, the draining feelings and the cunning thoughts. You'll forget it is addiction speaking and you'll identify with the whole notion. At such a weak moment you are extremely susceptible.

And so you have to prepare yourself for the situation. No matter what, do not touch a cigarette before you think about it thoroughly.

Don't act on impulse - don't just follow a whim or fall for the trick. You must be calculating and secure, and base your action on the sound operation of awareness and discernment.

And so the rule is: no matter what, do not light a cigarette without five minutes' contemplation. In these five minutes you can call awareness back and take action.

10. As these minutes pass, and awareness is harnessed while addiction releases its fetters, you will taste a victory. It will make your heart sing and your spirit soar; a pleasant sensation will spread through your body, and a bright luster will shine in your eyes. You are a winner, and you should be so proud that you laugh.