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Share your quitting journey

Take a Deep Breath...

SkyGirl
Member
3 10 108

I'm sure glad June is over!  I finished up the last of five 3-day trips, back-to-back, with a transcontinental red-eye that arrived in DC at 5:58am.  I flew 15 days in a row.  I went to my condo to sleep for a few hours, then back to the airport to catch a flight home to  the Oregon Coast.  I have SIX DAYS OFF!!!!

Flying over the Cascade Range as we approached the Portland airport, we got a nice view of Mt Hood, which is the fourth highest peak in the range.  I took the picture below.

image.jpeg

Every time I see Mt. Hood, I am reminded of the majesty of this earth of ours.  And of the feeling of breathing in cold, crispy, fresh mountain air.  And even though the only air available to me at that time is icky recirculated airplane air, I take a deep, deep breath.  I fill up my lungs, taking as much air in as I can.  I hold my breath for a few seconds, then I slowly blow it out.  And it feels so good to be able to do that!

Before I quit smoking, I couldn't have taken a "deep" breath, much less a "deep,deep" breath.  And when I tried, it always ended with me coughing.  And, demented as it may be, the coughing reminded me that I couldn't wait to land so I could smoke.  

But things are different now.  I quit smoking four years ago.  I gave my lungs a second chance.  They are healing every day.  Now, when we drive up Mt. Hood, I can take in huge breaths of cold, fresh air.  

They are wonderful cleansing breaths that give me a sense of calm, that help me to relax, and remind me that my stresses are mostly small ones, self-created and will eventually resolve themselves.

But, wait, aren't those the things that I used to insist that smoking did for me?  Make me calm?  Relax me?  Solve my problems?  These are the lies of addiction that we tell ourselves.  

And you have the power to change that for yourself and improve your life.   You CAN quit.  It isn't easy at first.  It requires some preparation, some reading, some thinking adjustments.  The improvements in the beginning of your Quit are so small at first that you may not notice them.  But every single day, every hour, every minute that you are not smoking, you are healing your body and your brain.

So take a deep cleansing breath.  And be proud of yourself for taking control of an ugly addiction that USED to have control of YOU.

You can do this.  Yes, I'm talking to YOU.

xxxooo, Sky

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About the Author
I'm a 64 year-old flight attendant for a major US airline. Prior to that, I owned an ice cream store and six hot dog carts and put my five kids thru college on hot dog earnings! Prior to THAT, I was Director of International Administration for Domino's Pizza, Inc. I was married to my H.S. sweetheart (dad of my 5 kids) for 17 years. I've been with Jeff for 23 years, but we just finally got married in 2016! Jeff & I live in Cape Meares, OR right on the beach. I'm from Ann Arbor, MI, where many of my kids/relatives still live. My flying base is Washington, DC, where I have a condo that I stay in when I'm between flying trips. My dream is to retire and stay home with Jeff and my two cats, Kenneth & Barbara...not happening soon, though. So I go home whenever I can get a week or more off. I LOVE to meet up with other EXers in the cities where I lay over. I usually blog about what cities I'm laying over in, so let me know if I'm staying near you! I'll buy dinner!! Xxxooo, Sky