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10 Steps to Starting Again (Quitnet Repost, 12/22/1997)
 
Many years ago, I started  a journy to stop smoking and found a lot of wisdom and support at a site called Quitnet. I did have long stretches where I stopped smoking as a result of the awesome support and wisdom from this site. I did save a large library of quotes and information from this site that I like to go back to from time to time to help me keep my quit strong. 
 
I will start to share some of the wisdom of this site in this thread in the hope that it will help others in their smoke free journey.,
 
Keep the Quit.
 
Gene
 
REPOST: 10 Steps to Starting Again From Pic on 12/22/1997 11:58:35 PM
 
10 Steps to Starting Again
 
1. "Try" to quit (try, as opposed to "do")
2. Idealize what life will be like without smoking
3. Associate your daily problems and disappointments with the fact that you’re not smoking.
4. Begin to buy into the idea that you’re more miserable now than before you quit
5. Start responding to your problems with, "If this keeps up, I’m going to smoke" then add "anyhow" then add "so why suffer anymore?"
 
(Alternate 3-5:
3. Associate your success with the idea that you’ve licked the nicotine habit.
4. Begin to buy into the idea that you could smoke without getting hooked again
5. Follow-up this idea with, "I haven’t smoked in ___ days/weeks/months/years" then add "I haven’t had any cravings" then add "I could have just one" )
 
6. Buy, borrow or steal a cigarette.
7. Find a quiet, secluded place where you can be alone with the substance to which you have attributed all power and promise for fulfillment of your needs.
8. Feel yourself calming down even before you light up, which is actually the beast ceasing to scratch at your insides as you prepared to feed the addiction.
9. Light-up and suck in all the poison you can get in that first drag, while beginning the battle against being disappointed in yourself, noticing that this fight is not half as ferocious as it was to get the nicotine.
10. Within a few hits, feel dizzy, cough a little, smell the stink, and realize you’re not going to stop smoking that cigarette, you’ll keep smoking despite the bad feelings, and wish you hadn’t given in.
 
I hope this scenario scares you as much as it scares me.
In writing it, I drew from my personal experience and noticed some things that might be helpful in the future:
 
A RELAPSE STARTS IN MY HEAD Steps 1-5 all have to do with how I think. IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO FULLY RELAPSE without doing some or all of 1-5. A CIGARETTE IS NOT THE ANSWER AND THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ONE.

RELAX AND JUST SAY,   NOPE!!

Congrats on being one year smoke free!!

G’day 
NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever....
(replace Ever with Min,Hour, Day as required)
 
 

It's a type of linament... like deep heat or tiger balm...except yes it's made from the fat of emus....so not vegan, at all....but it's Bush medicine, bit of a cure all, wound treatment, eczema, scars, joint pain....etc....

Those of us, who are old enough, remember exactly what we were doing, when we heard a plane had hit the first tower. We were glued to the T.V., for the rest of the day. It is still a very vivid memory. I’m sure we smokers had a few extra cigarettes on that awful day. I lived in NJ, at the time. New Yorkers were leaving the city, in droves, crossing into NJ, to escape the carnage. Many of the people who worked in the towers were from NJ. A nurse I worked with lost her brother. He was a civilian, who worked in one of the towers. I had friends, who lived in NYC, who could see the towers falling. How traumatic that must have been. I tried to volunteer to help, but was told I wouldn’t be needed. Needless to say, it was a day none of us will ever forget. It led to my son-in-law, Tony,  deciding to enlist in the Army.  He would be killed in action on March 4, 2010., in Afghanistan, another day I’ll never forget. Let us all pause for a few moments, today, to reflect on what happened, 20 years ago, today, and pray that we never experience a similar tragedy. Also,  please pray for the souls lost on that day, and their families. Thanks for listening.
 
Kat
 

Well kids it's time to cast your votes we've narrowed the list to 3.....Polls are anonymous, but as usual, but feel free to chat about t your choice or even campaign below.
 
Now, if you wanna know what's winning you either have to wait till polls close OR cast your vote....help pick the winner...or even just read the comments....most of us will tell you what we pick and why.
 
So while voting is not compulsory and enforced with fines like it is in the great land down under...it is highly encouraged...cos it's fun.