He was a great actor and most powerful mouthpiece for spinal cord injuries. He became real “Superman” after his tragic accident in 1995 when he refused to feel pity for himself and made choice to increase public awareness and more action toward spinal cord research. He gave hope to those with disabilities due to spinal cord injuries and his courage was an inspiration to millions worldwide.

========================================================== "The truth about Smokers 'Relaxation Ruse' "

- by Neil Stelling B.Sc, MBA

© DigiLectual Inc. 2004 http://www.quitsmokingwithNLP.com/ ==========================================================

Smokers love excuses. They can't quit because .. (fill in blank). I covered one of favorite excuses in another article, 'concentration con'.

Now here's another of main - can't quit - excuses. Smoking helps relaxation. Most smokers claim it helps them relax. But would you ever describe a smoker as relaxed ?

Their addiction (or habit) makes them nervous and jumpy. All things equal, a smoker will never relax as they once did before their drug.

Think about last time you ate in a restaurant. Isn't that a relaxing environment when you're eating your meal, in good company ? But that's not enough for smoker. They're still not relaxed. They need a cigarette fix, even between courses, because they think that's what they need to relax.

Then they associate a temporary relaxation with cigarette, rather than environment and company. They don't even consider their non-smoker friends enjoyment might get ruined by smoking.

Let's look at realities of relaxation ruse. Nicotine is a stimulant, not a relaxant/depressant. A stimulant speeds up metabolism, not slows it down.

The 'smoking is relaxing' claim counts as yet another irrational excuse used by smokers who can't face up to quitting. The smoker genuinely feels a cigarette will relax him.