Our memory of the crash is often dulled, even though typically humans remember the ends of things more vividly than the experience as a whole. So if you eat a bunch of candy and then get sick, you still later might want to eat a bunch more candy.
This is where facing up to what brought the crash is helpful. When you’re writhing with a tummyache, you block out the cause. You don’t want to face the reality of your torture being brought on by the thing you wanted to do – and want to do again.
Whenever you’re in pain, look for how to link it to a choice you’ve made. Heck, it might not even be connected, but why miss the opportunity to trick your brain out of a bad habit? If you break your leg, spending a little time mentally connecting that broken leg to your smoking habit might be just the thing you need to kick it.
Pain sometimes happens, the crash always comes. Don’t waste it.
The Opportunity Machine 