Spring- A Smoke-Free New Beginning

[Shamrock]

Well, inspired by the great success of JECM, and motivated by the first day of spring... I have set tomorrow as my new quit date for giving up cigarettes. What better day than the kickoff of this season of renewal?

As I'd mentioned, I blew a 20-month quit last summer, foolishly looking for the comfort of my old "friend". I sabotaged an accomplishment I was very proud of, giving in to the deep-seated lure of the "just for now" mindset. With any addiction.. there is NEVER "just for now". It's all or nothing.

However, thats history, I'm ready to go again, and will employ all the same means that I enlisted last time. I have the patch ready to go, I am airing out my car, have lots of bottled water and sugarless gum on hand. I've rejoned my online quit group, my tracking meter will start in the morning
Stating your intentions is a BIG motivator - it helps with your resolve When no one else knows.. its so easy to just throw in the towel.

Lastly...I dont know why this helped me last time...but I mentally imagined a whole table full of cigarrettes laid out... and smoking them all.. one after another. The thought is so repellant.
What I am doing now is imagining all the cigarettes I have smoked in the last seven months..a table-full and then some.
It's going to be tougher this time, I dont kid myself. But spring holds the promise of new beginnings, sunshine, fresh air. And fresh air means smoke free.

[jesse's mommy]

Good Luck! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

[wdawson]

it will be tough.......i'm week 3 smoke free.......well 22 days 6 hours 27 mins and 54 secs..........but whose counting........lol.......good luck

[Prin]

Yey! Soon pets.ca will be entirely smoke free! Woooo! Go team Clean Lung!

[doggy lover]

I've been smoke free for 3 years March 18 and I can tell you I don't miss it, and never crave it anymore. When I stop and look at my hubbies uncle that has lung and throat cancer from smoking and is now dying from it, I know I shall never return to the of smoking. Good luck take each day as it comes if you slip up, start again the next day, you will win..

[Joey.E.CockersMommy]

Shamrock that is so great, if you've quit once you can do it again -
W Dawson I am only a little bit a head of you - 26 days, 5 hours, 4 minutes and 48 seconds - not that I keep track or anything

Doggy Lover awesome for you for keeping it up - I quit for over a year before and started again - stupid me -

Sometimes you see things and think is smoking really worth it - today I saw an eldery man walk out of the 7-11 he was pretty much coughing his lungs up - he then got in his car still coughing, rolled up his windows and lit a smoke - I was like WOW! I don't want that ever to be me.

[angie79]

Good luck!!!!!

I'm at 7 mth and about 1 week!!!

You can do it!!!!

[NaNa8]

My brothers and sisters and my daughter are scheduled for Laser Light on April 21 to stop smoking. That is the first day that all of us can get together in Illinois to get it done. Some of us have stopped in the past with different methods and for others it will be the first time stopping. Good luck to everyone else in here who has stopped or who is planning on stopping.

[Shamrock]

Thanks very much everyone for your encouragement and support! Kudos and best wishes to those of you who are also undertaking this formidiable task!

So far, it's been.. gruelling. To say that I am on edge is an understatement. I knew it would be more difficult this time for two reasons - I'm under more personal strain... and because of that, I was smoking more than ever before.

I'm trying to keep busy, change my routine, keep my mind occupied. The first few days are the toughest for sure.

However, the encouraging thing is I KNOW from the almost two years that I was off cigs.. this DOES go away... and you no longer crave or even think about cigarettes.
They become a distant memory..that is what I am striving for again!