Good morning EXer’s!!
I know it’s been a while since I’ve been here but you have been in my thoughts, Why? because what we do here is such a positive thing. The struggles that we must face may seem hard and yet it’s because of these struggles that we find a new meaning for our lives.
We find a kind of peace when we rid ourselves of the mask of addiction. I think this is because us humans really don’t want to live in a world of deception and as such when we can get past the negative of what we’re doing and see the world as it really is then not only have we progressed on our journey but we have taken the first step to understanding what we’re trying to do.
We’ve realized that we’re addicts but at the same time we know that this is one thing in our lives that we can change. This is one thing that doesn’t have to remain the same. This is the one thing that can turn our lives upside down and yet create such a wonderful feeling within us. That feeling of doing the right thing for ourselves. That feeling of knowing just how much we care for our futures and the lives of those we love.
Taking that first step can seem a little scary but this too is a normal part of the journey. I think this is because before we actually decide to quit, we have become so complacent in our world, even though it’s a world filled with an addictive fog where we endlessly try to convince ourselves that this is the world we really want. And yet when we think about it, we know that if we’re living an addiction then really we’re living a world of lies.
But taking that first step onto the path of freedom begins the process of removing that mask of addiction from ourselves. And each day that we progress on the path frees us just a little more from our addictive world. Each day on the path removes yet another piece of the mask of addiction from us until the day comes that we can see clearly through that mask. This is the day that we can see that freedom. Sure, we have a bit to go but now we can see so clearly that soon like a rainbow giving us a promise, there in the distance is our shiny new life almost beckoning to us.
This in itself helps us because suddenly we no longer see the loss of our past smoking life. No, instead we see ourselves in the future breathing better than ever before! And feeling on top of the world because no longer do we have a ball and chain attached to us, forcing us to endlessly fill our lungs with death.
This is when we realize that every time we finished a cigarette we got ready to smoke the next. This is when we can see the addiction for what it really is. This is when we realize that we never were really happy with our past lives of smoking and what’s amazing is that on the day that we can clearly see through the mask of addiction and see our quit for what it really is well, this is the day that we can smile just a little because we have taken the very power away from the addict within. We have kicked that nasty thing to the curb. We have taken our lives back!
So whether you’re in the middle of your quit or just thinking about starting, always remember that the day you take that first step on the road to freedom is not a day of loss. No, it’s a day to celebrate even if it takes a little time to see through the mask of your addictions.
Fight on my friends! There is no better feeling than the feeling of peace that is awaiting you down the road. The day you quit was the day that you decided it was time for a new and wonderful friend. You just might not have realized that the new friend is actually you with a new outlook on life!!
ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!
