In BUTTKICKERS: Twenty Ways to Leave Tobacco, Joanna Free offers a candid, engaging, and often humorous look at the journey toward a healthier life. The book is filled with practical advice, heartfelt stories, and a refreshing take on changing behaviors that hold us back. Let’s dive into some excerpts that capture the spirit of this transformative book.
One of the most striking pieces of advice comes from the chapter “Look Crazy, Get Sane.” Here, Joanna encourages embracing what might seem absurd to achieve sanity and health. “Put your arms around yourself and rock and hum. Put a pacifier in your mouth when you need to calm yourself down. Or your thumb,” she suggests. This playful yet profound advice highlights the importance of self-comfort and breaking free from societal norms that dictate our actions.
In the chapter “Laugh Your Butt Off,” Joanna emphasizes the power of laughter as a tool for change. “If you can make or let yourself laugh HARD for even thirty seconds, you can change your perspective, your brain chemistry — your actual, physical brain — without a single puff of smoke,” she writes. This section underlines the transformative power of humor and its role in altering our mindset and actions.
The book also includes inspiring stories of others’ journeys, as seen in “The Grand Adventure.” Joanna shares, “One great story came from a man who was a regular at one of the groups I’d visited… He said, ‘I dreaded it for a long time. That attitude never got me what I wanted. One night, I thought back on my life and all of the times I’d done things I didn’t really want to do, and how I felt proud afterwards.’” Such stories serve as powerful reminders of our capacity for change and resilience.
Lastly, BUTTKICKERS isn’t about “quitting bad habits;” it’s about a deeper transformation. In the summary, Joanna reflects, “This is not when I say, time to smoke your last cigarette! Or time to set your ‘quit date’!… This is a very individual process. We’re learning to respect and truly honor our own individuality, in our butt-kicking and in all areas of our lives.” This encapsulates the book’s core message: Embracing change is a deeply personal journey, one that encourages self-respect and honors individuality.
In essence, BUTTKICKERS is more than a guide; it’s a companion on the journey to a healthier, more fulfilling life. Joanna’s conversational style, combined with her insightful and sometimes unconventional advice, makes this book a must-read for anyone looking to make positive changes in their life.
Find out more about Joanna Free and her book BUTTKICKERS at:
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-free/
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JoannaTheAmazon