All those "bad" things -- smoking, overeating, gambling, alcohol, list goes on and on -- are easy ways to fill void. Smokers will be able to relate to this one -- if you've just had a fight with your family, what do you do? You go for a smoke. Smoking makes it feel like problem goes away. (I call this "smokescreen." Har har!)

I'll let you in on a little secret--the real reason it's so hard to quit is not nicotine. It's this void-filling. When you quit smoking (or any bad habit), you're suddenly faced with real life. All those stresses and needs that you've been avoiding? There they are, pulling at your coat tails, yelling, "Pay attention to me! Pay attention to me!" If you got in touch with your real inner needs and took baby steps to start fulfilling them, you would actually have little desire for cigarettes. It's true! I see it happen time and again in my Stop Smoking Coaching practice.

How do you do that, you ask? Here are some baby steps that you can start trying out now: • Next time, instead of taking that quick fix--stop. • Have a little quiet time and listen to what your insides have been trying to tell you. • Try journaling -- don't edit your thoughts, just write. • Some people find meditation and yoga to be great accesses. • Try deep breathing. • Go for a quiet, leisurely walk by yourself. • Personally, I find it easiest to just start noticing where in life I seem to be avoiding things most, or if I want something more immediate and active, doing a mindmap (a word drawing) to figure out what I'm really thinking.

For each person, key to figuring out your needs is different. Play around with it, don't give up! You'll be glad you did! Jill Binder is a Stop Smoking Coach with a 90 day program to show people how to quit smoking forever, with a 100% success rate. She has appeared on radio, television, and newspapers across Canada, including The Winnipeg Sun, C-FAX, and CFRA. You can sign up for her newsletter, "YourTurn - Turn Your Weaknesses Into Your Perfect Life" at http://www.StopSmokingCoach.ca.

You can sign up for her newsletter, "YourTurn - Turn Your Weaknesses Into Your Perfect Life" at http://www.StopSmokingCoach.ca.

Can I see while wearing theatrical contacts?

Yes, you can. Even though lens is completely opaque, its center is clear so you can see. The only exceptions are white-out contacts, which create effect of blind eyes. In this case, entire lens is fully opaque so, unless you want to find out how it is to be blind, you should wear a white-out contact lens in one eye only.

Are costume contacts safe?

There are many FDA warnings about dangers of costume lenses, although lenses themselves are usually not to blame. Unfortunately, some people wear their costume contacts for several days straight, or put them in without washing their hands first, or swap lenses with their friends, and then blame theatrical contacts when they get an eye infection.

The truth is that if you get reputable brand name costume lenses and take proper care of them, costume contacts are as safe as any other type of contact lens.

Here are 5 simple rules, to keep costume contact lenses safe:

Don’t wear your costume contacts for longer than a few hours Don’t swap them with other people Order your lenses from your doctor’s office or a reputable online retailer. Contacts sold in costume shops or flea markets might be of questionable quality Have an optometrist fit you with theatrical contacts Clean your costume lenses properly

How do I take care of my costume lenses?

Novelty contact lenses don’t require any special care; you simply treat them same way as you would treat any contact lenses.

All you need is a multi-purpose solution and a contact lens case, which you can get in any chemist shop. Rinse your lenses in solution before inserting them in your eyes, and don’t forget to wash your hands before handling lenses.

When you’re not using your costume lenses, keep them in solution, in their case. It is recommended that you change solution at least once a week, if you don’t use them for long periods of time. But who would bother? If you have to wear contacts that have spent a month or so in their case, just give them a double rinse in fresh solution.