Boo

The quit is not new anymore yet it is still at or near the forefront of your mind. That is a very common phase of the quit process. Most quitters have experienced it to some degree. I would like to offer up some inspirational quote that will put the wind beneath your wings. If I had one of those for your situation I would post it here. However, there is a lot to say for just punching the clock and getting the job done. Eventually you will get to a point where the quit is second nature. Difficult hikes often lead to the best views.

One of the greatest gifts the process of quitting gave me was the opportunity to practice detachment on a daily basis. I started thinking about this earlier today after hearing Jocko Willink talk about detachment on a podcast. In fact, the moment I figured out how to separate myself from whatever emotions and thoughts I was having in the moment was the turning point in my quit. It was a struggle before I figured it out. After I figured it out, it has been nothing but smooth sailing. The cravings didn't magically go away when I turned the corner. The odd thought about "the good ol' days when I was a smoker" still popped up from time-to-time. The basic tenets of addiction were still there, I just changed how I reacted. Instead of surrendering to the chaos and allowing the emotional upheaval to dictate my actions, I just took a step back and observed what was really going on. Identified my thoughts as nothing more than a temporary feeling born of decades of addiction. Detaching yourself from the self-defeating thoughts and emotions of addiction allows you to observe what's really going on and make wise decisions. The cigarette is an inanimate object. You are not a smoker. You are someone who used to smoke. Your thoughts have as much or as little power as you give them.

Try to calm down and relax. I know Christmas is right around the corner, but that's no reason to drive yourself crazy over the next three weeks. You may not find that "perfect" gift. The Christmas dinner may not turn out to be the culinary experience of the century. And that's okay. If you're like me, you are far from perfect the rest of the year. Why would the holidays be any different?

Shout out to Jo and her fellow Aussies. I used to call this exercise the "inverted row." Recently, I heard it called an "Australian Pull-Up." I like that term better. Do you Pull-Up from a land down under...

Thirty minutes was the maximum amount of time I could go between cigarettes without feeling that old familiar pang of withdrawal. Other times, I was ready to light up another smoke within five minutes of ashing out the last one. When you ask: how much does the addict want, the answer is always "more."

Added a few more books to the collection: Harold and the Purple Crayon (Rozuki recommended this one in the other thread). The Little Engine that Could. Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth. This is the most contemporary book we've purchased. I wasn't familiar with Oliver Jeffers, but I really like the story and artwork in this one. And last but not least, two more books by Shel Silverstein: A Giraffe and a Half and The Giving Tree. Eventually the kid is going to be the proud owner of the entire Silverstein collection.

I'm bona fide, certified, and thoroughly vetted now. I'm in the process of setting up a new account at work with a company that has contracts with the military. To get clearance I had to go through a thorough background check. Received notification earlier today that I cleared every hurdle. For the record: the Federal Government of these United States of America has deemed ol' Boo a citizen in good standing and not a threat to the Republic. So...I got that going for me.

Horny Toad and Loony Bird Rendezvous Down Under. It has all the makings of a summertime buddy comedy.

Solid signing, low risk at one year, and much needed. It would be nice if we had Dallas Keuchel for another season, but that seems very unlikely now. A healthy Hamels should be a solid fourth in the rotation behind Soroka, Foltynewicz, and Fried. Still have my fingers crossed that we get one more year of Josh Donaldson in Atlanta.

I've posted this song every December since joining the forum. I'm not breaking that tradition now...

Thanks Steve. Back in early 2016 I smoked more than a pack of cigarettes per-day, drank way too much, had terrible eating habits, and was leading an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Then I quit smoking and channeled my addictive tendencies towards health and fitness (I'm not good at doing things in moderation). Feel better now than I did twenty years-ago. Good call. I've seen folks who went through amazing transformations that started with a 5k plan. I like how those plans can be adapted to anyone at any level and they provide clear and measurable goals to work towards. Happy running Steve.

When I was a kid, Bumble seemed scary. Now the scariest part of this scene is the positioning of Yukon Cornelius' revolver; it's pointing right at his nuggets.