Share your quitting journey
I was walking into a grocery store the other day which had large front windows. My eye caught the Marlboro cartons (my former brand of choice) along with all the rest of the cartons of cigarettes piled high on a shelf inside to the left of the door. Interesting. Right there for your eye to glance upon as you enter the store. But - of course. Eye candy for the smokers. I thought "gee I'm glad I don't have to do that any more." And then I went further into that thinking as I meandered toward the milk. What does that mean to me exactly. I haven't thought about smoking, or that need - in ages. I don't HAVE to do that any more is what struck me. Smoking really was a HAVE TO DO thing ever since I put that first one in my mouth, choked, tried again and got hooked. It wasn’t so much because I wanted to, it was because I NEEDED to. I HAD to. I didn’t have a choice.
Ah - but there’s the rub. We DO have a choice. That’s what I learned and what we try to teach here.
I recognized that I COULD smoke, if I wanted, but I didn’t - want. That’s - Freedom. And that Freedom is really very simple - once you get to a certain point. It’s when you recognize “I don’t HAVE to light a cigarette any more to stop a craving. I don’t HAVE to light a cigarette when I’ve finished a hard job in order to give me a feeling of accomplishment and relaxation. I don’t HAVE to light a cigarette to give an exclamation point to a meal.” I don’t HAVE to smoke at all. And I don’t. And I am so grateful to those who taught me how to become like this.
You know, we as Elders were just where you new comers are. In whatever stage you are, I can guarantee you - we were there in our heads with the demon screaming. We stuck with it, we hung on (sometimes with gritted teeth and BAD HUMOR), but we persevered. And we came to the happy realization - eventually - that we don’t have to do that any more.
You don’t either. Embrace this choice you’ve made. You will never regret it. And it WILL get better, it WILL get easier. IF you’re willing to hang on until it does. Are you?
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