Boo

Congratulations on the new position Saz. If called upon to be Barney Fife to your Andy Taylor...I will answer the call.

Congratulations Jordan. High Five!

Congratulations on keeping your quit Beachmom. You faced down the urge to smoke and stayed true to the commitment you made to yourself. Those are the moments where rock-solid quits are built. Good job.

Congratulations on seven months of freedom HKB.

Taking the cigarette out of the equation does not render anything enjoyable less enjoyable. There is no truth in the idea of smoking adding to our quality of life. It is a lie we agreed to accept to justify our addiction. Everybody here believes you can quit. We know for a fact that anybody can quit. Leave the past in the past. Great success stories are often built on a foundation of earlier failures. But do you want to go back to being a smoker? You decided to break that cycle for a reason. Think about why you smoked, why you knew you needed to quit, and be 100% honest with yourself. Making long-term decisions based on short-term feelings rarely ends well.

Sitting around feeling bloated. Started the day off with healthy activities: climbing and hiking. Ended the day with less than healthy activities. We stopped at a little greasy spoon type joint where I proceeded to eat a cheeseburger the size of my head and a double serving of potato salad. Gluttony always seems like a good bit of fun until the gas and heartburn kick in.

You're among friends here. We all took the same ride you're on now. What sounds crazy to some is just a trip down memory lane for us.

Don't forget the senior discounts. My dad milks those for all they're worth. He flashes his AARP card around like it's some kind of badge.

Pissing on command is tough. Any time I have to take a physical, I drink a bunch of water beforehand. Go in on a full tank. "Yes sir, just fill out these forms and the doctor will be with you soon." "Can I go ahead and get one of those cups? I'm ready to go!"

Attitude is important and commitment is vital. Don't put added pressure on yourself by feeling the need to stay "positive" and "happy" at all times. There will be times when you want to smoke. It's to be expected. There may well be times when you feel a bit out of sorts during the early days of the process. That too is to be expected. It takes a little while for the mind and body to adapt and regulate. Just remember the one and only incontrovertible rule of quitting smoking: DON'T SMOKE. Adherence to this rule will carry you through the highs and lows.

Good job Joe. You committed to your quit and trusted the process. And now, it's all coming together for you. Stay the course and enjoy the ride.

The slavery of nicotine addiction is self-imposed. The moment you ash out the last cigarette and commit to never smoke again, you're free. You have a choice to make. You can continue to smoke and continue feeling tired and trapped, a cycle that will continue as long as you continue smoking. Or, and this is by far the superior choice, you can stop smoking. Make a commitment to yourself. Be relentless with that commitment. Reap the many benefits of being smoke-free. The challenge of quitting is a rewarding process. The challenge of continuing to smoke is a dead end loop.