The following is the unedited text of a letter written to a new customer who has just purchased "How to Quit Smoking Without Willpower or Struggle". Along with his payment, he sent a letter expressing doubt and cynicism about his ability to end his habit. I wrote back. Several days later, while reviewing my mail, both in and out, I considered the letter and thought that anyone who may be contemplating the purchase of this book may want to read this letter as well.
The phone number at the end of the letter is valid. I invite anyone wishing to speak with me about the book or tobacco to use it whenever they choose.
Mark Whalen
May 20, 1997
Dear (name omitted),Sorry I couldn't see your new site. I'll be back when the "construction" is completed. Just let me know.
As to your order for our book, "How to Quit Smoking Without Willpower or Struggle", your payment was received today, and your book will go out by "Priority Mail" on Monday morning. You should receive it by Thursday's mail, at the latest.
I was very pleased to receive your letter with your order. Usually, if there is any message at all, it's just "Send my book to...". It made me feel very personal about this order, and very pleased to know that I am going to help you make one of the biggest positive differences in your life. When you said, "I was convinced that I might not be able to quit," I knew exactly what you were feeling. BEEN THERE...FELT THAT! In fact, that was the feeling that motivated the information in this book. You see, I didn't just end the habit last month or last year, I did this twenty years ago. I've just now gotten around to putting it on paper for my daughter, who is in the same predicament as I was then, as you are now. When I started reading and editing it, I realized I had something to share with more than my family, I had something I must share with the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the crusading type. But on this subject, I just may be the most educated person in the world right now. I know that's a huge brag, but in all my research, I have not been able to find any other material that approaches the solution to this addiction the way you will find in this book.
What you will find is that you will not be attacking your smoking. You may do all of that you want...you REALLY want. What this system attacks is your "wanting" to smoke. Doesn't it make sense that if you no longer wanted to smoke, you simply wouldn't? Yet every other system ignores this facet and tries to get one not to smoke IN SPITE of the wanting. They try to subliminate the wanting with patches and gum, or just FIGHT it by going "cold turkey". But has anyone ever asked you just to examine why you smoke? Asked you to ask yourself, why this cigarette now? Has anyone ever suggested that the decision to become a smoker was made and implanted deep into your subconscious many, many years ago, and that you can go back in time (in your mind) and CHANGE THAT DECISION? Think about it, if you hadn't decided to smoke back then, would you be smoking now?
You will find in the book a statement that I know from years of being a clinical hypno-therapist to be true. It is this. "We cannot change the past, but we can change the way we remember it, and how those memories affect our lives today." I cannot believe this to be a revolutionary concept, yet nowhere in my research have I seen any suggestion of going back into past memories and changing the decision to be a smoker. AND IT WORKS!!! I smoked for sixteen years, nearly a carton a week. Not only can I not clearly remember doing it, but have a hard time believing that I wanted to. I was, as you and every other smoker in the world now is, hypnotized! Yes, hypnotized to believe that sucking toxic, chemically saturated smoke from a burning weed wrapped in chemically treated paper every day of my life, nearly every waking hour, would somehow make me happier, sexier, more attractive, and (the worst lie) more mature, when exactly the opposite was true.
Okay, enough for now. If I keep going, I'll wind up making this into another whole book just for you.
To get you started, I've put together and attached the prologue and the first chapter. There is a week's work (not really "work", but...) to do before you read Chapter 2 anyway, so this should save you four or five days. You'll see what I mean. It's in rich text format (.rtf), which, if you don't have Word for Windows, or WordPerfect for Windows, can be read by WordPad for Windows 95, although you'll lose one graphic. If you cannot read it with what you have, let me know what will be best for you. It's too big for Notepad, but I can probably format it any way you need it.
(NOTE: The Prologue and Chapter One can now be read simply by clicking on the "Sample Chapters" button at the left side of this page.)
Please keep me informed as to your progress, and if you need me, call me at (702) 226-5402 and leave me a message. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Leave the best time to call.
Sincerely wishing you the best of luck, and the most of commitment!
Mark Whalen
August, 2006