I always like to look back into the days of my quit. I mean the days right after I got over my irrational fear of quitting and put out that last cigarette. Was I confident? You bet. Was I a little scared? Yeah, I was that too. But in spite of that, like so many of you here are now doing, I followed through with a long developed plan and put out that cigarette for good.
Like you, I had those first hard days. Days when my brain divided and the internal argument caused by addiction began. But at the same time, I embraced each day proud that I was a nonsmoker.
As most of us do, in the morning I’d assess things. And sometimes I’d wake up craving a cigarette. For a moment, I’d sometimes wonder why I’d quit in the first place. And other times I’d wonder why I didn’t buy the old pack to keep around “just in case”. But for me, these thoughts were very short lived.
As I got out of bed, I’d pull out my visions of the addict within and Mt. Freedom and I’d focus on these things until my mindset became one that was once again on an amazing journey. By the time I logged onto EX, which I did daily, I’d be in a pretty good mood, In fact, by the time I got here, I’d be celebrating both my past days of freedom and the new one that I was about to face.
By looking to the future, where my freedom was, I quit fretting over the present, even as I continued fighting the endless argument inside. I found a kind of solace in knowing that one day my vision would be a reality. That one day, the endless argument with myself would be over. That one day I’d actually forget that I ever liked smoking.
And yes, when I came here, I’d celebrate with others the one thing that this place cares most about. That I was still free!!
I was able to celebrate my journey even as I fought with myself by seeing myself climbing that mountain. By knowing that in a way, the mountain really is real because it was a means for me to see not just the current part of the journey, but the entire journey. How far I’d come. How much closer the end was and this always brought a smile to my face.
Everyone has a Mt, Freedom inside. It’s whatever we can use in our minds eye to symbolize our determination. To show us our goal. To think of the end result until one day it’s no longer the end result but rather our current reality.
Fight on my friends, and never think that you can’t be standing on the summit of your mountain. So many have already made the climb. So many have found the peace that awaits them at the end of the journey. So many are feeling a freedom like they’ve never felt before and for every one of us, it all started with that first step. With a commitment to life and with a desire to be free!
ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!
Chuck
