May 18, 2001

Mark,

I just had to write and say thanks soooo much. I am an electronics design engineer and programmer from Michigan that has been smoking since 1974. Thursday May 10^th I smoked 2½ packs (500 hits). I was quite [displeased] at my self the next day. When I walked into my office the next morning at 7:30 a.m., I said to myself, "Self, you are done smoking as of right now. No more ever." At 8:26 a.m. I lit my first one. Major frustration!! And one [heck] of a miserable hour. Been through this many times. Fighting the craving fuels the craving.

I started a search on the Internet and found your site. My first response to the name of your book was, "Sound too good to be true? It probably is." By the time I got through the first couple of pages, my life was changed. I sat staring at the screen in amazement. It was so logical. You had found the key, the secret weapon. It all made instant sense and I knew, and now know, I am defeating the monster. I ordered [the program] and asked you to please hurry. You did that and I thank you. I have been keeping track of every cigarette since May 11^th and today is my seventh day. I have, in anticipation, bought the worst cigarettes I can think of, which are Salem menthols. Ironically they are what I first started smoking and also what killed my father…and here I sit smoking.

Yesterday was my sixth day and I smoked 16 cigarettes (160 hits) and that’s a far cry from 500 hits and I’m not even stressing to do it. I am anxious to go to the next step. I have been paying very close attention to when and why I want a smoke. Once you start to understand that the enemy is the habit created in your own mind, you see the ingenious methods your mind or program will use to get you to light up. I must say that after writing hundreds of programs, this is by far the most in-depth program I have ever manufactured. The good thing is that writing a program to do a certain series of tasks can be difficult, but there is no person who understands and can dissect that program better than the one who wrote the program. I wrote this program and I am now writing Rev 1.1. The latest and greatest. There will be not be a bug in this program!! This will be the only program I ever write that I will be able to say…this program only needs one revision.

Our company has laboratories in one section and offices in another. Yesterday one of my employees caught me in the hall and mentioned a problem that frankly he should have easily taken care of days ago. I am under a high amount of stress and it really [upset me] at the time. The moment it ticked me, I had a tremendous urge for a smoke. Normally, I would have lit up without even thinking about it. But now I am watching for this attack. It passed quickly, but I recognized the moment for what it was. It was so obvious the program was dictating this, I said out loud, "Amazing!" and laughed, walking to my office to write a note on this. I keep notes on the things I am learning. My employee probably told the others "I think the President has stepped off the deep end". But within two phone calls, he had the problem resolved. (Double Win!)

Mark, I won’t bore you with things you’ve probably heard a hundred times. It’s just that, for the first time, I already know I will defeat this habit. I have been on chat channels on the Internet with people who are trying to quit and I assure you I will pass my advice on to many of these people. I know you were earnest in writing this book because the incentive (your daughter) dictated that you must write it. I’m sure you realized during the process that it needed to be distributed far beyond your daughter and I thank you for all your efforts. I cannot thank you enough.

My family also thanks you. There is nothing worse than having your 8 year old daughter come to you and ask, "Dad, when are you going to stop smoking?"

Thanks again, Mark.

Tim Mishler, Beaverton, MI

P.S. I just smoked my first Salem, it sucked and that’s great!