~~Great men and women are not extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. They are ordinary people who do ordinary things with integrity.~~Jacye O'Neal
And so we have a lot of great men and women here on the EX site! People who pour their hearts and souls into your quits. Heart and soul into supporting you, informing you, educating you, and encouraging you. And they do so with so much integrity and grace.
Even when they are ignored. Even when they are challenged. Even when misunderstood.
Anyone who quits smoking and maintains their quits for as long as many have here should be respected regardless of whether or not you agree with their viewpoints. It's hard to quit, right? So why would you not respect someone who has 1000+ days?
If you are anywhere in your quit...2 days, 20 days, 200 days, 2000 days....I respect you in your quit. But if someone with 1000 days....2000 days....3000 days...offers me a suggestion or a piece of advice, I take it seriously. They know what they are talking about.
So the next time you decide to ignore a post from someone who is here ONLY to help your quit, pause for a moment. Respect them enough to read what they have written. And after you have read it, let it sink in!! Don't read to make friends, read to learn. Don't read to be social, read to understand.
I don't call those with long quits elders. I call them wise. I call them heroes. I call them warriors. Because they are still here every day, beside you in your struggles, in front of you when you are weak, on the sidelines to cheer you on.
Your quit is all about you. So be selfish enough to focus on your quit and what you need to do to maintain it. However, this site is about warriors and heroes and wisdom as well, all here to help you focus on your quit. So take time to read, to learn, to listen. Take time to learn from the best of the best. Because they are here on EX hoping that you read, you learn, and you listen.
Big hugs to those heroes!! Those warriors!! I so learned from you and I so listened....it just took awhile 🙂
Sheri
