Well, I finally made another hundred days smoke free. I remember when I was celebrating the first week smoke free. Each milestone in our quit is important and should be recognized I think. This is because it helps us to stay strong until we reach the next milestone.
I know when we first quit that we want the time to pass. This is because the only way to lose our addiction is with the passage of time. This is why it’s so important to track our milestones. It shows us how far we’ve come and how easy it will be to continue on the path.
The only thing we have to be careful of as time passes is those phantom cravings that can pop up at just about any time in our quits. Over time we can put the addiction in the background but we must always be wary for it is the weak moments when the addiction will try to take control again.
And one thing I know for sure is what I always said. Those first hard days over time become nothing but a memory. Those days where we build our commitment are indeed important because each step in our journey gives us more to build on. Each step is a continuation of the last and each step brings us closer to that goal of freedom.
So never think you can’t do this thing. It’s really just a matter of keeping it in the forefront of your mind at first and then learning how to push it back in our thoughts as we become more confident in our quits. Soon you like me will see the humor when the cravings hit you.
The last ones I had bothered me for a moment and then I thought, "Oh well, they only last for a few minutes." And then they came again and again and I thought to myself as I laughed, "Chuck! You know you don’t smoke. Now stop being so silly and get back to your life!" At which point I did start laughing at myself. I did realize how silly I was being because I knew in my heart that I wasn’t going to smoke.
I knew in my soul that this wasn’t me anymore and so I guess I just found it to be funny that I was trying to attack myself. And the moment the laughter came, the urges were gone simply because it’s really hard to care about an urge when your laughing.
So go for it! Fight your way through those first hard days. See them for what they are. The foundation of a quit. The foundation that will hold you up for the rest of your life. The foundation that will carry you through the next month, the next year and beyond!
Remember that with each passing day your quit will become stronger. Your belief in yourself and the fact that you don’t smoke will be stronger. And remember, each time you get an urge and overcome it brings you closer to your freedom!
So try not to look at the discomfort of your quit. Instead look at the reality of what your doing for what your doing is a very noble thing indeed. Your ripping out the tentacles of an addiction. Your proving to yourself every day that you want to live a future that’s just a little brighter then it might have been without completing this monumental task.
Sure it’s hard but it’s worth it. Freedom is always worth the struggle, don’t you think? So cast off your doubts and fly into your future! It belongs to you and the ones you love. It belongs to all who see you win your battle with yourself.
It belongs to all of us here for you see, your success is a success for everyone. That’s why we do this together. Because we care and we know exactly what your going through because we’ve been there! We’ve felt the very things that your feeling right now.
And as I’ve always said and can now prove through my own struggle, those hard days really do become nothing but a memory . . .
