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Very true Sally, and at the end of the day only I will know how well I am coping with it. I don't need the blessing of others, knowing inside that I've acheived something is enough. I've also noticed a sort of glow around me and I think it's because my attitude has changed, plus not inhaling all those toxins is doing my skin the world of good! x

I really hope you reconsider. You absolutely are strong enough to wake each day and say not today. Learn from your mistakes, that is the natural way of acheiving anything worth having but please don't assume you are not strong enough -just get a new plan laid out and let's do it! xx

Great blog, Sazerac. You know, I wonder... Many people have said that one of the most important "benefits" of smoking is that it allowed them some distance from their emotions. Whenever they felt some strong emotion, the few minutes required to step outside, find, light and savor a cigarette gave them time to process those emotions and choose how to react. The rituals of smoking are also calming. Many people say that they feel emotions more strongly after quitting than before. Negative emotions, of course, but also positive emotions. Sort of like--when they feel bad they feel very, very bad. But when they feel good they feel GREAT!! For anyone involved in a creative pursuit where you have to reach down inside yourself and express your emotions for the world to see, I suspect that quitting smoking (or any other type of drug) will really throw a monkey wrench into your work for a while. You probably will have to push your way through it, force yourself to work when you are not feeling "comfortable" or "normal". Eventually you will get used to your new normal and you will be able to work easily again. I bet that your work product will be a little different than it was when you were smoking, and maybe that will be a good thing.