Nicole Diver

Happy 3 Sarge!! :D

This is a great list you have posted - keep it close. Sometimes, the right thing to do is not always the easiest thing to do, but stay tough. I don't want to hurt my son's health by smoking in the house. I don't want to have to constantly go outside to smoke. I don't want to feel trapped by the need to smoke constantly. I always felt it, except when I was smoking. I don't want to die of a smoking related illness. I don't want to die, period. lol! I don't want to spend money that I don't have anyway on my addiction. I will continue to want to NOT smoke even if I smoke. And I don't want to go through the physical withdrawal again. I don't want to smell like an ashtray.

What's your fave part about being smoke free and why?

When I first quit I told myself that If I lived to 65 I could start smoking again. Because I knew I could quit, had done it before and been super miserable. Then I starting learning more about the addiction and really tried to be open minded to Allen Carr. And low and behold this quit wasn't near as bad as my previous attempts. Wasn't a walk in the park, but not the black despair I feared I was walking in to. Anyway, now I think how silly that was the 65 and can smoke bit was. Why would I ever willingly go back to slavery. But it helped me in my early days.

Wiley!! So glad to see you have come so far. We both work in the same industry and it can be extremely high stress. Glad to see we don't need to smoke to get thru the stress anymore. You are an example of how to do it right. Well done!

DW that is awesome! You own this!

Evelyn - you are accessing a possible situation before it happens. Which is excellent, you are mentally prepping yourself. Just think, you have 2 months under your belt! That is something every smoker dreams of having. You have earned your freedom. No one 'gets to smoke,' they *have* to smoke. But not you Evelyn, not you anymore. You never gave up on yourself and you are succeeding.

I hope you have a great birthday!

Indeed, we are not out of the woods yet. But it's not an active anxiety like I used to have quite often.

There were so many things I *hated* about smoking. I remember that I hated wondering if every cold was the big C (as info, I have not had a cold once since I quit a year and a half or so ago - some days I would think I was getting the beginning of a cold but it always went away quickly). I hated wondering if any person that came near me could smell stale smoke. I hated going to bed at night and wishing so much that the next morning I would wake up and the cravings would just magically be gone from my life. (Well, guess what, you starve the crave a little while and that very thing happens, you wake up no longer physically wanting to smoke. It's just the best feeling.) What do you remember that you are so glad is no longer part of your life as a non smoker?

WAM! :D great job!

That is just flat out awesome! I remember how shocked I was that I made it that long, I thought I would turn into a pillar of salt first. You are holding tight to that rope, and it's so important. This is by far the best decision you could ever make for you or your family. I am so happy for you, it gets easier and easier the more time that goes by, but the moment that you put out that last cigarette, you were a non smoker. And, well, that is just kind of cool.

Been sort of in the same spot. Good luck! I think you will be very happy with your decision.

The good thing about all this is...life is not always puppy dogs and rainbows, even for non smokers- you are retraining your brain how to deal with stress. I was a stress smoker big time, and that was my worst trigger I think. Each time you go through something like this, you get just a little stronger. I am very proud of you for dealing with this and hanging tough.

Very happy for you, you have made a lot of positive changes. It's exciting times for you!

7!

Nice to see you! Congrats on the continued success.

Congrats Marti!

Happy birthday Lucy!

Too cold to be out smoking!

Happy birthday!

Kristin and Mastergardener both. So pretty!

Congrats! I am so happy for you E! You are such an inspiration to me of inner strength and achieving your goals. Keep up the good work.

Each time you beat a challenge, the next one gets a little easier. Well done!

Don't forget that fine...