I just read a blog by our dear Friend Stacie!! It made me jump off of my chair and punch the air and yell,"Yeah, she is right where she needs to be"!! Please read her blog today and compare it to some of her past blogs! Realize that she has reached a new stage in her quit! Below I will re-post an edited version of a blog I wrote well over 2 years ago! I hope that the info will be helpful to a lot of you! ConGrats Stacie! Be PROUD! I have a big hug for you in a few days!!
THE FOUR STAGES OF YOUR QUIT!
#1. Unconscious Incompetence! This is the beginning of your quit! You have no idea what your addiction is all about, or how to overcome it! At this point you depend on your enthusiasm, and pride to get you through!
#2. Conscious Incompetence! Now you are starting to understand the magnitude of the task you are undertaking! But you still don't know if you can do it! The people in your life, who have never smoked, have dropped their support because they no longer believe that you need it! It is a time when we lose many of our newbies. For the ones that stay, this is the time that you begin to understand the importance of you friends here! We will help you maintain your enthusiam! We will remind you to be proud!
#3. Conscious Competence! You are past the hardest part! You understand what it takes to maintain your commitment! You see yourself as a non-smoker! You have a grasp of the importance of 'Collateral Kindness"! You appreciate the fact that you can indeed help yourself by helping others!
#4. Unconscious Competence! You have this! You do not even have to think about it anymore! You are a non-smoker for life! You have reached a point where nothing would make you smoke even one cigarette! Our sweet sister in Freedom, Dawn was once ask by her doctor how she knew that she would never smoke again. She told him that she knew because she would rather die than put another cigarette in her mouth! She proudly kept her word right up to the day that she went to her reward! Once you reach this point, your pride is at its highest point! Some of you will hang around here to watch, and help others to the mountaintop where you reside! You will be called an Elder!
Many quitters will spend a long, long time vacillating between Stage #2 and Stage #3! Set your goal for completing all 4 Stages! Once you reach Stage #4, you will see all of the rewards that you have been expecting from your quit! Welcome to the Mountain Top! The view is awesome!!! My name is Tommy, and if you are not up here yet, I am saving a spot for you!
