First Puff.... or Not

[ElaineC]

Reposting for those that wanted to bookmark this... You don't have to reset your gadget. (A repost) I've already done it for you. I love each and every precious newbie here, whether you decide to take that FIRST puff of nicotine, or whether you decide not to. Just by being here you have shown tremendous wisdom and courage. But as a quitter with 59+ months (now over 17 years) truly smoke-free under my belt, it is impossible for me to NOT notice the difference between the two choices. And it is, in my opinion, unfair of anyone to ask me not to notice, when they make a conscious decision to take that FIRST puff of nicotine (to smoke), and then try and escape the normal consequences of their actions by renaming it (a slip which implies something less than smoking). The ole Montana Troutnut1 has watched this issue for almost 5 years (now over 17 years) now and has tried to stay on the sidelines. In fact, I have intentionally ducked (quack, quack) this issue. Smoke free since 2/28/2001 and sober since 11/21/98 I have faced my demons, and beaten them, one day at a time. And my main purpose in being here at this stage in my life is to share my experience, strength, and hope with you so that you may experience the joy that I have found here, and to insure my own quits by helping others. So that you may also recover, as I have, from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. To share the love that has no price. To share in miracles on a daily basis. And I can't do that by ignoring the obvious. The obvious, at least to ME, is that there IS a difference between one-week smoke free, and one day smoke free 7 times. And there IS a difference between 100 days smoke free, and 20 days smoke free 5 times. And if you don't yet know or understand the difference, its simply because you have not yet had that experience. Its not that I'm judging you. Its not that I'm looking down on you. I'm not trying to be mean to you. Lord knows I've been there. I failed dozens of times. I know what its like. It's simply that I want you to eventually get to that place of freedom that I've finally found. And you are unlikely to find it if you don't know what you are looking for. If nobody tells you the way. Its why we have Elders and Doctors here, and I would be remiss in my obligation to you, were I to remain silent about this any longer. If you want to go to a different place this time, it's important that you use a new map. If you use the same ole map you've always used, you'll likely end up in the same ole place you've always ended up. The ole definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. If you ever need medical help, you'll find that there IS a difference between a physician with 6 years of medical school, and a student with one year of medical school 6 times. One is called Doctor. And one isn't. I am a private pilot and it took a minimum of 40 hours of instruction and practice to obtain that license. The FAA would not have granted me that license, nor would you wish to ride with me, if I just had the first hour of instruction 40 times. If I just took the one hour "intro" flight 40 times. If you want a college degree you'll find that you need 4 years of school, not just the first year 4 times. And by definition (Quitnet's, not mine)nobody here NOT ONE single Doctor of Quitology, has ever made one whole year quit, while continuing to puff. Because the definition includes the words smoke free, which, in hindsight at least, are not all that hard for me to understand. I recently had someone who had been smoking and didn't reset write me complaining about the way we do things around here. She kept saying "we Elders this" and "we Elders that". I didn't have the heart to tell her that she wasn't an Elder because she had not gone 100 days without smoking. So when we cheat now, we have to cheat later too, and at every milestone forever and ever. If I had to live with dishonesty like that I'd HAVE to smoke. And maybe drink too. It took me 35 years, and dozens of failed attempts, to figure out that TO QUIT YOU HAVE TO STOP SMOKING. And now, I am here to share that revelation with you. And if you don't yet have that understanding, I hope that you will join me, and those of us that DO have that understanding, sometime real soon. There is but ONE puff that separates Doctors of Quitology from those just pretending to be Doctors. It is that FIRST puff. And that's exactly where you need to draw that line in the sand. At that FIRST puff. Of course you don't have to reset your gadget if you don't want to. But when you admit to smoking here, at any time, in any amount, and for any reason I, and many others like me, will just go ahead and reset for you. Though we probably won't mention to you that we did it. This is simply a statement of fact. The world, and the remainder of the Q, has a gadget for you that runs concurrently with your personal gadget. But the two do not always agree if you decide to take that FIRST puff of nicotine and not reset. This simple fact is not negotiable. It is not debatable. It doesn't depend upon what anyone else (that hasn't yet been there) says. Or what even what the Q may say. There is no way for it to be sugar coated. And yes, your life really does depend upon you getting 100% on this simple test. Don't take that FIRST puff, one day at a time, and it is physically impossible to fail! Don't take that FIRST puff, just for today, and you are absolutely, positively, 100% guaranteed to go to bed as a WINNER tonight!

Your friend in Montana

Troutnut1 (Dennis)