El Bandito

Nice work Sonic! My day is complete... well apart from collecting the wife from work.....

Jess, Karen. Every quit has its ups and downs I think. I learned that any thoughts of 'forever' scared me half to death. NOPE - the first time I saw NOPE, I saw the full version. Not One Puff Ever...Just for Today. The second part is important - we just quit for the day. Then tomorrow, we pledge to quit for a day...before you know it you realise you forgot to pledge..but also forgot to think about smoking.... One day at a time ladies - you can absolutely do this.

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I never could quit for ever. Still can't. I just quit for Today. Much easier to quit one day at a time...

zero

Fantastic work Sandy!

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222 Days... Great work!

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Right weather for it!

Technical point. That is NOT Guinness. I know, I need to get out more.

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NOPE

I was fairly typical I think, in that I chose to ignore the obvious risks and damage associated by tobacco. I ignored them because I was addicted. I ignored them because I was frightened. I was frightened of failing. So, I would laugh, I would tell people 'Live life! Enjoy every moment! We all have to die some time of something.' I bought Allen Carrs book 'the EasyWay' and I read it. (Not for the first time) I sat down and really thought about smoking. About mortality. I thought about my wife. About how she had moved away from her beloved London and her beloved family to support me and my work. I thought about COPD. I thought about my wife as a carer. I thought about dying. I though about my wife all alone. I decided that I was right. We do all have to die of something. We should enjoy every moment. Did I really enjoy smoking? Did I need to hurry my death along? No. And No. I simply followed the instructions in the book. I chose a date. I committed to quitting smoking and celebrating that quit immediately. I quit on vacation. My wife still smoked. So on the first morning, after breakfast, we carried on our routine and went up to the terrace for our after-breakfast cigarette and espresso; the obvious difference being that I did not smoke. She was worried, watching me from the corner of her eye. Me? I was fine. I quit. As the vacation continued, my wife decided that she would quit too, and smoke her last cigarette before we got the flight home. Did I crave? Yes. Sometimes. Did I sometimes rely on support from like minded people online? Yes (mostly lunatics here!). How do I feel now? Absolutely fantastic.