Never Quit the Quit!

[Thomas3.20.2010]

"Let no feeling of discouragement prey
upon you, and in the end you 
are sure to succeed."
- Abraham Lincoln 

I personally am not an advocate of the idea that slips and relapses are inevitable. I sincerely believe that by making such a statement we are simply giving our addictive selves a "reason" to get their fix, which, of course, is not the goal. That's why I have been a big supporter of N.O.P.E.  You see, I've "quit" many times and for long periods of time but without the N.O.P.E. philosophy until I found this website in March of 2010. You see, I knew that I had to switch things up, to make some fundamental changes in my ATTITUDE about smoking because this time, there was absolutely NO WAY that I could go back to smoking! I have Emphysema and smoking would mean a very quick disintegration of my health! So no smoking for me NO MATTER WHAT! 

That said, there have been times when I wanted to quit but was continually tempted by my environment and felt frustrated and angry with myself for not getting it done. I know the slippery slope of slip into relapse which can be very quick or even take weeks but often if not always a slip can lead into relapse. I think the difference for me when I did manage to get a quit to stick was to  become disciplined about putting limits on my environment such as staying away from my favorite smoking places, my favorite purchacing places, and even some smoking pals altogether! 

Obviously something got me back into relapse or I wouldn't be talking about multiple "quits" and that's because I never stopped romancing the cigarette even when I was in the midst of a long "quit"! I became complacent after several Months. I lost my focus and became discouraged about having given up my "best friend"! I told mysel how brave I was for giving up this bad "habit", what a "sacrifice" I was making for my family, my career (I'm a teacher), even for my Doctor. I let these and other very subtle nico-lies creap into my thoughts and toyed with them for a long time, feeling cheated and "courageous"! Writing this, it seems so silly actually! But I never appreciated my new self! I longed for the me that I used to be! I became discouraged about the whole thing and it didn't take much to give into temptation with an ATTITUDE like that! 

So that had to change or I wouldn't get this done. By coming here, I've learned that quitting isn't just an event that happened on March 20, 2010 - it is a process that happens every single day for 490 days and counting..... It's not about a thing - it's about ME, the ADDICT and how I choose to live. Do I wish to live the junkie life feeding my ADDICTION until it kills me? OR Do I want to live the EXcellent LIFE of Smoke FREE Abundance? OH WOW! Let me think about that! Not a hard choice to make when you put it in that perspective, now is it? Thank God I'm Smoke FREE and N.O.P.E. for LIFE!