I made a comment to someone the other night that EX is changing. I have to correct that statement and say that EX is not changing, “I am.” Within 15 days I will reach two years since the beginning of my “Freedom From Nicotine Journey” I have grown as I continue living life as a nonsmoker which without a question is absolutely the best. At this point, I may not need the daily push that EX offered me in the beginning. So EX has not changed, I have. Even though my quit buddies and I still hold each other’s hand, the main players are different but the object of the game hasn’t changed, I have. For me the training wheels are off and I have been balancing safely. To God be the Glory. Once in a while it may get a little wobbly but I have the tools and support to steady myself. I hope to be around to give someone a push when needed but nothing is promised. As we grow in our quits we realize that there are other areas of our lives we need to focus on
I reflect on my one year milestone when I realized that there is so much more to life beyond the quit. I am relieved to experience life as a nonsmoker with new ideas, activities with a calm awareness for further personal development. I acknowledge that prayers to God the Father, the Creator of the Universe has given me strength to make it this far. With God’s love and help I am looking forward to another milestone with the assurance in my heart that I will NOPE. Why? I believe I have set myself up for success. It is not the milestone but what got me here.
- I had to be willing to let go and take a leap of faith NOPE #1
- Learned that “Education is the key to a successful quit”.
- A regular/daily involvement with EX.
- Listened to what the elders taught.(Some, most of the time, addicts are hard headed. lol)
- Read, studied, relearned, blogged and embraced my quit as a “doable challenge”
- No longer used smoking as an EXcuse or Option
- Made a choice for a better lifestyle
- Learned lessons and forgave myself for my past failures. HALT
- Moved forward believing I could do this one day at a time NO MATTER What!
- Let go of pride and denial that I was an addict.
- Used positive self-talk to take me through the hard times.
- NEF (never ever forget) from whence I came day WON
Quitting smoking is a process it does not happen overnight. Challenge yourself each step of the way. Set goals and work towards them. Sounds clichély but it works. You may have to go through some rough days to get to the forever smooth days. If you stay the course you can have success. It is inside of us. So don’t put it on a shelf like a trophy, keep it with you. You have to exercise it. Sheri ( Dancingthrulife) said it so eloquently, “our quit is not here”. Newbies I suggest that you should take the time to read some of her blogs along Skygirl, Thomas, Storm, Marilyn just to name a few.
Hang Tough, Stay Close, Be mindful, Don't give in or up.
Set yourself up for success .
Set yourself up for success
