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Share your quitting journey

Finding the Joy

SimplySheri
Member
0 5 2

~~Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and the thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you even when you don't see it yourself.~~  Unknown

 

My mother told me today that she thinks I live in a dream world where everything is pretty and the world is full of nothing but kindness.  She didn't mean anything mean by that, she just worries that I'm not realistic.  I have been known to dream 🙂  I have been known to be positive 🙂  And I also have been known to find joy in even the most stressful situations.

I worked in child welfare for almost 10 years.  I worked with parents who broke their babies bones.  I worked with parents who molested their children.  I worked with children who didn't know how to dream, how to have fun, or how to hope for anything more.  Then I worked in mental health.  I worked with adults who were not wanted by their families.  I worked with adults who were crushed by rejection, abandonment, and who didn't know how to hope for anything else.

I am totally aware of what the world is like today.  I smoked through the majority of it.  What an unhealthy coping skill to have when the world was already full of tragedy and heartbreak!  So I quit.  I also surrounded myself with people who believed I could quit.....who believed that I was needed in the world....who gave me hope, joy, and love when I wasn't the most loveable.

Every step of the way, I found joy.  In the early days of my quit and I had cravings galore........I found joy in the fact that my body was getting rid of the nicotine.  I was supposed to be craving as it's part of the process of recovery.  When I was an emotional mess during my quit, I found joy in the fact that I could now face my emotions....both positive and negative......without smoking.  I could go on and on about finding joy in my days!!  But this is me and this is who I am.  424 days of finding the joy in quitting!!

How about you?  Do you surround yourself with people who believe in you?  Do you rejoice in your quit?  Do you understand that it's only uncomfortable for a few months......and then you can truly live the rest of your life without even thinking of a cigarette?  Please try to find the joy in what you are doing!!  You are giving yourself the best gift in the whole world....the gift of living smoke free!!  You are amazing 🙂 

Its your choice, of course.  You can focus on whatever you wish to focus on.  You can be as negative as you want to if that helps you get through your quit.  But the joy is there if you want it......

Hope everyone is having a lovely Saturday!!  Peace and contentment to you all,

Sheri

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