But your always in my thoughts.
One might wonder why that is. For me, the answer is simple. Because I’ve been where so many of you are right now. Just like you I had to embark on a journey that I was never sure I would succeed at. Just like you I had to wake on that first day as a nonsmoker, wondering just what that day might bring.
Like you, I had to earn my confidence to continue onward to the next day, hopeful that I will be able to soon say seven days smoke free. Like you, I learned the ways of a nonsmoker. I followed the path to freedom faithfully, always looking for that thing that might make me slip. Like you I lived the perils that come from first the awareness and then the endless arguments that are the addict within. The constant fight with ourselves that just makes no sense!
And like so many I can offer you a glimpse into the freedom that awaits you. I can offer you a look into what might be your future so long as you can stay true to yourself and never give in to the screaming addict!
For me, the calmness that we feel after kicking an addiction to the curb comes gradually. For this reason it’s sometimes important to look at the progress we’ve made. By comparing the first days to the current one, we get a feel for how much easier it now is. If we only look at the current discomforts then we cannot compare today to yesterday. Once we have a few days under our belts then we begin to believe in ourselves and the ability to continue the path to freedom.
But, while there’s value in considering the beginning of the journey, there’s so much more ahead to look forward to. After all, it’s the future that we really care about or we never would have started the journey in the first place. As I continued on, secure in my thoughts and beliefs as far as my quit went, I discovered quite by accident that though phantom urges will appear for no obvious reason, they also become less frequent and contain very little power. When this happens, you will know that you’ve reached a new phase in the journey for once we reach the point where we can just shrug off the desires of addiction then we have reached a point where the only one who can derail our quits is ourselves.
And believe me. Though it’s a process eventually one can live days on end, happy with ourselves and with the accomplishments that come from doing something so incredibly wonderful for ourselves. There is no gift more precious then the gift of life and when we prove by our actions that we choose to improve that life then it sets off a positive chain reaction within our minds and bodies that cannot be ignored. We must use that positive direction to continue to strengthen ourselves every day.
Soon the "habit" is living life and loving the freedom that we earned on that first day that we thought of quitting. It’s been a long ride but I will say it was also an interesting one. One where I learned things about myself that I never would have learned had I not chosen the path of life. Had I not longed for freedom more then fearing a little discomfort in the present.
And so like me and so many others it won’t be long before your writing your own story. Your own vision of how it was done. And eventually as the memories fade from all those days that seemed so hard, we all find ourselves wondering just what was the fuss all about?
ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!
Chuck
