Goodluck, Joni. I want to wish you well in your Stopdate if you're managing to quit smoking today. It'll be a month for me on 1st January so you're in good company. I want to give you a nudge & encourage you to stay strong. I've made this work for me so far with some very strong, adamant, defenceful thoughts which are stronger than & stave off any smoking thoughts. Namely, if this stopdate does not work then that's one less tool I can use & I'm convinced if this doesn't work nothing will so I'm making it work. I'm sick of smoking & have done so for 15 years. I hate ageing & it's probably the single most crucial thing I can do to slow this process. That & eat healthily. I miss the general, natural fitness of youth & want my energy back so I can exercise more often so I remind myself to look forward to that as it improves in increments each day. I've been quite low the last week or so & my will & fervour for life is not as strong as it can be even to the point of thinking, well, if it's going to be like this I don't want to bother living longer than if I smoked. What a ridiculous head~lie. Thank God I know where that would be going & also know that however I'm feeling is just for today & if I sit tight long enough the nice times & headspace will return & I'll not have any regrets of having started something again that when I'm happy I don't wish to. These are the little lights I have in the darkness that remembering what the program has taught me that get me through the day. My head really hasn't been a nice place to be of late but I know this will pass. I can't wait to land in a meeting soon & chill out. I hope you find some you like too when you get to Florida. Wishing you the best, lady. I hope something I've said helps you, like it's helped me. I hope you can enjoy the joys of living smoke~free as they come, like me ;) Good Luck, Joni, Danielle x
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Progress not perfection.. & Practice makes Progress!
Hi Danielle! Time flies!! How great you havent smoked over a month!!!!! Thats the greatest thing ever! Be proud young grasshopper!!!! My son just peeked over my shoulder and asked 'are you gonna quit smoking!?" Dang, if that isnt enough insentive I dont know what is! But, hey, one thing at a time!!!! I like how you put things though....Am I looking older because of this nasty habit! Especially working nights now, Im gonna age like crazy. So, thanks for the little push! Just might suprise myself someday!!!!
Find something nice to do for yourself to get you back where you need to be! You sound kinda blue! Tis the season I guess! Love ta ya! Lani
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"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
Hey guys. I have been off cigs for over 13 years, and I have never felt better. I promiss the cravings do go away. It takes a little while , but the compulsion will be taken. Looking a back I wiss I had the priciples of this program when I quit, but I did it on self determination. Exercise helped me a lot too. Every time I got feeling restless I would go for a bike ride or something. Good luck!! Quitting cigs is one of the best things I ever did.
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Don't wait for your ship to come in... Swim out to it!
If it's encourging, I also quit 18 years ago and I never have craved one after the first year. I take for granted that don't have to smoke anymore. I'm sure it contributed greatly to my craving for alcohol and my hangovers. The main thing, besides besides that 1 in 4 smokers will get cancer, is that it's a drug and I didn't want the highs and lows that came with it.
I used the same kind of verbal reinforcement that I used with alcohol. every time I wanted a cig, I'll tell myself that It would kill me, that it didn't taste good (like my craving said it would), that's it's dirty, nasty, socially unacceptable, and expensive....
