INTRODUCTION

Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining

One remarkable thing about this world we are living in is that nothing is perfect. And this element of imperfection has seeped its way into everything and everybody, which is probably why we’re always hearing, “no one is perfect.“

          But in my opinion, there’s a lot of hope and encouragement embedded in this statement because it helps us to accept ourselves as human beings - with all our inherent weaknesses and imperfections. Oh yes we all have them. We have our share of bad (you may read that as not-so-good) habits and deep down inside us there is a murky something from which all these base cravings and the tendency to cling on to them take birth.

          But even when it comes to bad habits, there is a ray of hope. Just like every dark cloud has a silver lining, deep down inside us there is something that cries out in a very plaintive voice. And it is this something that makes us squirm when we think about the habit as such.

          The moment somebody starts talking about our habit, we feel queasy. The fact is, even we know that something has to be done about it and it is this feeling that makes us squirm. This silver lining is what makes us take sneak peeks at manuals like this one, which are like stepping stones towards quitting the habit.

          Most people know what is good for them and what is bad. Come on we all live in a very civilized society and all of us are more or less fairly well educated. But then, why is it that certain people develop certain habits and others do not? The reason is pretty simple. We all are products of the circumstances we grew up in. That is the simple reason why some of us like doing some thing while the others do not.