My great-grandmother was also named Cora. She was a wise woman. She taught my grandmother things which were taught to my mother, and subsequently taught to me. These interesting little tid-bits from my ancestry became very powerful motivators as I have grown and become an adult. One thing she said was that "Nothing hard is ever easy." I know it sounds like common knowledge, but the truth is it means more than just saying that "if it is not easy, it must be difficult," it is more like saying "if it is worth being done, it is worth being done right." I never met Cora, but I know that she was a hard worker, determined, strong, and she loved life, family and the LORD. I want to be like her. Not working in the fields on the farm so much as working as hard as I can to do what I believe is right for me and my family. Right now the best thing for me and my family is that I never pick up another cigarette ever again; making sure to stay head strong and comliant to my own wishes. I needed to make a commitment to myself, my loved ones, and my GOD. I have done this and I know I will be successful. As I dive full on into my 2nd Day Of Freedom and Smobriety I just want to thank my CREATOR who gave me my precious life breath, my family who gives me comfort and support as well as you all who are apart of my family of non-smokers. I feel that I also have to thank myself for finally getting my own self to realize that I needed and wanted this freedom, and that I was the only one standing in my way. Sure cigarettes are addictive by nature, and it is natural to really feel like it is going to be so hard to give them up, however the truth is that you are not giving anything up, you are reclaiming your EXsistence and your freedom from addiction, your right to not be controlled by a substance; but the human brain is impressionable, for instance if you believe it will be hard to quit and that you will never stop thinking about them or craving them then it will always be a burden, but if you believe that you are doing yourself a favor and you keep a positive outlook on life and remember that it is up to you to not pick up one day at a time, one moment at a time, and remember that GOD created you to breathe air and not pollutants then you will have an easier time quitting for good. I do not know these things for sure because as you can see im only 26 hours into Smobriety, but I do know I intend on keeping this pattern of thinking for the rest of my life. I know a lot of people loved the book that the late English writer Allen Carr wrote entitled, "Easyway to Quit Smoking" I found it anti climactic for years, however. Just recently, while rethinking about how he says to put it down and never pick it up again, and how there is no such thing as withdrawal from cigarettes and such, I thought he was insane and that there was no way that it could possibly be true because if it were that easy, people would have no problem quitting; therefore I have found that if I continue to BELIEVE in my quit and myself I think I shall be able to not smoke comfortably for the rest of my life. Of course I may be wrong, but I guess I will find that out in time. Until then, I plan on working as hard as I can to stay sober from every drug that is not prescribed to me or necessary for my survival. For instance I also quit drinking caffeine yesterday in the afternoon. I have been drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated. I am feeling good, the only problem is I have not been able to get to sleep as of yet. I have been trying since 9:30 pm and it is now after 2 am. I am going to rest now regardless of whether I can sleep or not. I know that relapse can happen, it has happened to me countless times, and that relapse can be a part of recovery, but I do not want it to be a part of mine. I can do this and I am going to work as hard as I can day in and day out to stay sober because I do not want to be a slave and I know that "nothing hard is ever easy."
Cora--DOF 1 day, 2 hours and 30 minutes.
