Happy “Spotlight Wednesday”!
Today, I’m excited to share with you some of this week’s most inspiring success stories and tips from the CBQ community.
Let’s dive in!
Inspiring Advice
This week, CBQ Nicotine Freedom Program member Christian Phillip Bakke from Nevada, US, shared with our community the exact mindset that helped him quit smoking after 46 years!
His advice: When you make a quit attempt, resign all your predetermined thoughts about quitting. This sets you up for success.
This is what Christian recently shared about his journey:
“It’s been 6 months, since my quit and the time has flown by. I must admit the 6 month mark represents 1/3 of my noted goal of 18 months. I noted that 18 month goal at the beginning of the program. I yearn for the day when my 45+ years of self destruction will only be a distant memory. I know that day will come, because thats what the program/process teaches, and it’s been spot on since day one. I know success for anyone is possible, with the CBQ method. My formula was to follow the program exactly as prescribed, resign any predetermined thoughts about quitting, put complete trust in the program/process and finally, a leap of faith. My trust in the process, its teachings and continued learning through the CBQ Wellness Master Series Classes will ensure my continued success, not only in preserving my quit, but in overall quality of life. Thank you Nasia and your entire team for making this process available.”
This is Christian holding his CBQ Success Certificate:
Inspiring Milestone
This week, CBQ Nicotine Freedom Program member Karen Marshall from England, UK, celebrated 6 months smoke-free!
After 50 years of smoking, Karen knew that cigarettes were controlling her life, but she had no idea of the extent until she joined the CBQ Program. She went through the program and completed all the exercises, where she described them as, “Every exercise made me dig a little deeper into my thinking. Every exercise helped me to reframe my thinking and shift my focus.” After completing the program, she quit!
6 months later, Karen is still a happy non-smoker! This is what she shared about her journey:
“The CBQ programme has helped me to become a happy nonsmoker in so many ways. It really opened my eyes about the insidious way that nicotine controls me physically and mentally. I knew it was controlling my life, but I had no idea as to the extent of it.
Every exercise made me dig a little deeper into my thinking. Every exercise helped me to reframe my thinking and shift my focus. I had ‘given up’ twice before but even the phrase ‘given up’ means you see it as a loss. Needless to say, I went back to smoking. This time I feel really positive because I see it as a gain – gaining control of my mind and body, gaining my true self.
Nasia’s enthusiastic approach and confident way of talking to us was so inspirational. I love the way she talks in the videos.
Number one tip for choosing freedom from nicotine is seeing it as a lying, manipulative, evil thing with no benefits. No way I’m letting that control my life again!”
Tip of the week
This week’s tip comes from CBQ Nicotine Freedom Program member Rachael Leah Harris, who celebrated 3 months smoke-free this week! She quit smoking on February 26, 2026.
Her tip: Commit to the exercises with a positive outlook.
This is what Rachael shared recently with the CBQ Community:
“It’s been almost 3 months since my quit date. After dozens of attempts over nearly 30 years, this was the only time I didn’t have withdrawals or significant weight gain. I never thought I could be ok living life without cigarettes, but I wake up every morning without coughing up a lung, I take work breaks without needing nicotine, and I can go out drinking with friends without stepping outside every hour. My singing voice is already bouncing back, which is huge since singing is my hobby. I feel like I have my life back.
To anyone with doubts about the program’s effectiveness, I am someone who typically holds in emotions, I refuse to go to therapy, and I don’t let others in for fear of disappointing them. For those reasons, I wasn’t sure this would work for me. However, if you do all of the exercises and go forward with a positive outlook, you CAN succeed! I even (embarassingly) read my goodbye letter out loud in front of my husband while smoking my last cigarette, and it ended up being a really important experience for me. Please hang in there, you can do this!”
I hope today’s spotlights inspired you and showed you that you can also break free! A big thank you to our members who gave me permission to share their stories with you.
To your freedom,
Nasia Davos (MBPsS, IPPA, MA)
Ex-Smoker, Psychologist, Creator of the CBQ Method™
P.S. Feeling inspired to break up with nicotine… but don’t know how ready you are to actually do it? Take this quiz to find out how ready you are to quit smoking or vaping in the next 30 days: cbqquiz.com
This free assessment will show you your “Readiness to Quit Smoking” score, identify what might be sabotaging your efforts, and suggest the next best step to take. It’s insightful, personalized, and quick!
Take The “How ready are you to quit smoking?” Quiz Here
