I’ve gotten to know the most incredible, amazing, determined people! Some of my old and dear friends have moved on, some of them are still around and we keep in close touch and some new friends as well. It really is like one Big Family!
We were all brought into this Family under different circumstances in very stressful times in our personal lives. For one reason or another or for multiple reasons we each had come to the conclusion that it’s past time to quit smoking. What a terrifying thought – that one!
I came with my LIFE literally in my hands looking for answers on how to survive. What I found was a way to THRIVE! And it is so simple! I have to be responsible for my own EXistence! I have to actually practice what I value!
I never really thought that I was doing anything else. I told myself that I value life, family, friends, work, and marriage. But because I was an ADDICT – namely a Nicotine Addict – I compromised all of those things! For a bloody sickerette! Good Grief!
I couldn’t see that by damaging my health with every puff I was hurting my family – hurting my Wife, God Bless Her! I couldn’t see that I was compromising my professional future, that I was diminishing the Quality of LIFE itself.
I couldn’t see that I was damaging my Sons, my Wife, my pets, even my Clients by Second and Third hand smoke. I couldn’t see how I was polluting my car, my home, my business, my atmosphere.
There’s a lot to forgive myself for in all of that. Thanks to my BecomeanEX Family, I have been shown how to accomplish that! I am an Addict. Addicts become oblivious to the sacrifices they make to their drug of choice. I gave away a little piece of my soul every time a lit up. That’s thousands of times!
That’s what it means to re-cover! It’s re-claiming ME! Bit by bit through a lot of Focus and Determination every time in those first 130 days that I said NO to that constant nagging Addictive Voice I re- claimed another little piece of my soul – for ME!
Every time I faced the ups and downs of Life on Life’s terms I re-learned Who I really am – not my Addiction – the real Addiction FREE Thomas!
Every time I celebrated not with a sickerette but with Healthy natural breaths of clean fresh air or a good work out in the gym I re-claimed my Body for ME!
Every time I spent taking a brisk walk with my Sons or dancing with the Love of my Life to get some dopamine the way Our Creator intends I re-claimed my relationship with my Beloved, with my Family!
Every time I showed up for work in clean, unsmoky clothes that stayed unsmoky throughout the work day, even when confronted with challenges big and small I re-claimed my professionalism.
Every time I dropped one smoking pal and gained two clean and sober friends, or talked another guy into quitting, or gained the respect of smoking and nonsmoking friends alike, I re-claimed my half of good friendship.
I could dread the years lost irretrievably under the smoke cloud of Addiction or I can Thank God, my Family, and each and every one of you for contributing to my Quit Journey now and in the future. I know I won’t smoke again Not One Puff Ever….as long as I Never Ever Forget!
And that’s why I’m here – because a guy I’ve never met in person named Dale jolted my Addicted Brain with his quirky Blogs, because a gal named Giulia and another named Sootie, believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself! Because a gal named Aunt Dee became my Quit Buddy and kept me on track and hopefully, I did the same for her, because a fellow named Tommy and another Fellow named Break-in-the-Chains gave me some much needed cognitive tools. Because a lovely Lady named JoAnne continuously dropped sunshine and a smile into my message box. And little did I know that I was just getting started making some of the Best Friends in the World!
ALL of YOU have become closer in many ways than my 3-D Family and Friends. You have proven yourself not just fair weather Friends but the kind you want to have around you when the sh#% hits the fan! And the kind of Folks you want in your LIFE when you Celebrate 4 YEARS of Smobriety! The BEST of the BEST!
OUR BecomeanEX Community! Becoming responsible for our own EXistence – one minute, one hour, one day at a time!
