We can't go back in time and change our past ignorance to the effects smoking was having on our future health but use this realization to help inspire yourself on those tough days you will have in the early part of your quit. You CAN still change your future for the better. Make that your focus point  

Congratulations on two weeks done and dusted Icanhike Sorry about the mouth ulcers, I had a sore tongue for a good week. No fun ? 

Congratulations on being nicotine free!  Keep up the great work!

Welcome, Icanhike! It sounds to me from your post and follow-up comments that you have an amazing attitude, which is a BIG key to a successful quit! Kudos!

Edited February 27, 20197 yr by abbynormal

How are you doing, @Icanhike  ? 

I see your weather is frigid and snowy.

Stay warm and cozy and smoke free.

Hi ICH.  I also smoked for 42 years.  Never thought I could quit until I found this wonderful forum.  You can do this.  Each day without smoking you gain so much.  Yes there are health benefits but there is also an unbelievable feeling of confidence.  I look forward to cheering you through your journey.  We are all here for you!

Hey there, Linda.  I noticed we smoked the same number of years.  I do feel a stronger sense of personal integrity now that I've quit.  It seems like I couldn't completely respect myself when I was smoking cigarettes, but I wasn't aware of it at the time.  And now that I stopped, I feel more self respect, and it's very uplifting!!

1 hour ago, Icanhike said:

Hey there, Linda.  I noticed we smoked the same number of years.  I do feel a stronger sense of personal integrity now that I've quit.  It seems like I couldn't completely respect myself when I was smoking cigarettes, but I wasn't aware of it at the time.  And now that I stopped, I feel more self respect, and it's very uplifting!!

I was so ashamed of my smoking.  That personal integrity you feel will grow with your quit.  You are doing great.  You can do this.

Hi Sazerac!    Denver's getting snow, but I'm on the other side of the mountains, so our weather is different.  We're slightly warmer than Denver, with more clouds. 

I saw your paintings and they're outstanding!!!  I'm an artist, too, and I admire your ability with acrylics.  

I'm a plein air painter.  I still have dazzling memories of blue-green agave, and the purple shadows cast onto the orange rocks.  I live for the patterns created by sunlight and shadows!!   Edward Hopper once said that all he wanted to paint was "sunlight on a wall."  And that's exactly how I feel.  I'm just spellbound by that yellow light, and what it does when it lands on various surfaces.  

Well, you are highly skilled...I don't know how you do that with acrylics.  I used to use acrylics in an airbrush a long time ago, when I painted murals.  But I was always freaked out by how fast they dry, lol.  I'm an oil painter and I also enjoy pastels.  But yeah, I love your paintings.  Just gorgeous...great color harmonies and striking compositions!!!!!  

@Icanhike..I've noticed your ticker.....cute doggy too ... Yaaaa.....your doing great ....so glad your here....

Great to have you here, ICH.  Your participation on the board is really appreciated. 

All of us quitters and all of the lurkers will benefit from your experiences. 

Tickers are good.

 

For sure, the boost in self-confidence, the trust in oneself is a huge benefit of quitting. 

I was a 40 some odd year smoker, too,

and what I once thought was self-confidence

turned out to be a blustery bravado before I quit smoking.

 

Would love to see your art.  PM with a site ?  

Art really helped me through the early stages of quitting.

Although, I was having a tough time working without a cheroot in my mouth,

LOOKING and SEEING and finding BEAUTY when I was having a crave helped to switch up my brain receptors.

I was all over 'that light on that leaf' etc.  Your look/see skills will come in handy like mine did, for sure.

Yeah, I haven't tried painting without a cigarette, and I'm uptight about that.  But at the same time, smoking was a bit of a problem when I painted outside. I use turpentine, and I was always worried about starting a fire.  I had a jar of water for putting out smokes so I could extinguish them fast.  But I also had a couple open jars of turpentine, and I'm always sitting near dry vegetation, and it did worry me that sooner or later I'd set a national park on fire.

So at least I won't have to worry about that anymore.  I'll send some pictures sometime today. ☺️

28 minutes ago, Icanhike said:

Yeah, I haven't tried painting without a cigarette, and I'm uptight about that.  But at the same time, smoking was a bit of a problem when I painted outside. I use turpentine, and I was always worried about starting a fire.  I had a jar of water for putting out smokes so I could extinguish them fast.  But I also had a couple open jars of turpentine, and I'm always sitting near dry vegetation, and it did worry me that sooner or later I'd set a national park on fire.

So at least I won't have to worry about that anymore.  I'll send some pictures sometime today. ☺️

Wow !!!....I was holding my breath reading this ....scarey !.....I'm glad I carnt paint lol.....well I do paint woodwork ...

3 hours ago, Icanhike said:

Yeah, I haven't tried painting without a cigarette, and I'm uptight about that.  

 

I was so freaky about not being able to paint without a smoke in my mouth that I didn't address it for TEN months.

Please don't wait that long.  Start painting again NOW even if you make ugly (there is always gesso, lol).

Waiting gave smoking too much power, I didn't need to do that.

Here is a blog post when I was coming to terms with it

My Life As One Big Smoke Trigger

 

To tell you the truth, I was determined to 'get over it'

but, my junkie voice was LOUD

and I knew that if I didn't conquer it, I would return to smoking.

Yeah, I know exactly how you felt.  Art is very hard work, you're thinking about so many different things all at once, and trying to keep them right, and smoking was a way to stay calm.  I'm not calm when I paint, I'm straining every brain cell I've got.   But I'm hoping that without cigarettes, more of my attention will be freed up to make better observations, and I'm also hoping my eyesight will be better without smoking.   I wish I could take Doreen out painting with me...I'd be laughing so hard I'd forget about all my psycho troubles.  

What do you mean when you say you paint woodwork?   

9 hours ago, Icanhike said:

What do you mean when you say you paint woodwork?   

Lol....doors skirting boards ect ...I'm a dab hand  with gloss...x

I dable with water colours...