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Remember the Freedom

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  1. aurora
    aurora avatar
    94 posts
    Registered:
    08 Mar 2018
    31 Jul 2021
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    I am on the site today to relay some recent examples of smoking and temptation, after 3 and a half years of quitting. 
    A friend that I don't see often came by for drinks. We were outside and she was smoking. My mind at times would remind me of how good that could be - remember?  Drawing in that deep lung full of smoke and feeling the relief. Enjoying it. 
    I just continued on but really noticed the strong temptation - just one.
    Since I quit in March 2018, I adopted the motto - NOPE - Not One Puff Ever.  
    One puff is how it started for me each and every time, The first time, and every time and quit after that.
    I smoked for 35 plus years and I remember the ball and chain of the habit. My motto will always be NOPE. 

    I was looking out the window today and saw a guy standing outside smoking.  Sure, it's a nice day today. But I was thinking - I remember "having" to smoke wherever I went - stop here - smoke - stop there - smoke. and it was a real pain in the ass, I have to say. I then remembered going outside in ANY weather - rain, sleet, snow, and extreme cold. now that I don't smoke, I just watch other people do it. I would never normally do that - go outside and stand there for 10 minutes if the weather was lousy. 

    For those of you out there struggling with quitting, I want to tell you that you can do it. You can have the freedom, and start to focus on living. Smoking had the worst grip on me, and I thought I would never be able to quit for good. Well, this is the longest I have ever quit, and am ever so thankful.  and I have to remember NOPE and the freedom of quitting. That keeps me on track, and it is not always easy, but most days I don't think of smoking at all. . 

    I love the freedom that quitting smoking has given me, and focusing on living.  


  2. dublinguy
    dublinguy avatar
    379 posts
    Registered:
    09 Dec 2021
    15 Dec 2021
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    What a great post. Just the one puff would land us right back to being full blown smokers again. Its easy to romanticize the cigarette and think we would enjoy it... but taking a puff after so long not smoking would be horrible. Rotten taste, coughing, smell rotten again. No matter how bad these craving strike, Im gonna grit my teeth and battle through. Im done with smoking and going out in the cold and rain to get a fix. I have to start feeling pity for the people i see smoking from now on. They are still gripped and choked by their addiction. Not me.. not us! 
    Im lucky that I actually dont really have any smokers in and circles Im in so theres no temptation of asking for the one. I know full well from past quits that just one is never just one. And id be gutted after putting in so much effort to get this far. and no way am i buying a full pack and throwing them away after one or two. no way. i need the money to add to my bank balance... not to burn up in smoke.
2 posts, 0 answered