Wow wee a great feeling as I have actually went 1095 days equals 3 years without a single puff whatsoever!! In the beginning of my quit I struggled. I think for me and probably many others, it is really hard to see ourselves as nonsmokers, because smoking is all we knew. For me, I mourned the loss of my Nico dude, I had a sense of missing something. I didn't realize it at the time but all these smoking years I have been missing out on real life. I lost out on the feeling of sense of purpose. Before I quit smoking I would rarely go anywhere because I didn't want the hassle of having to find a place to get my fix, was embarrassed because my smoke smell, and really it was so much easier to stay home and not have a life. I would make excuses why not to go to family things or if I went I would be outside sneaking a fix and missing family conversation. I am sure many of us did the same thing, if we couldn't smoke we wouldn't go. So real life loss is what I was missing and the sense of belonging, because I isolated myself from the real world. In the beginning we struggle and fight ourselves and the process because of the unknown and fear of life without Nico dude or dude-etts (my made up word lol) in our life.
Let me tell you there is life after smoke and I am loving life and me again. I have discovered there is life and people on the outside of my doors. I am doing things I would never do before. I wake up breathing in the mornings and no more struggles of gasping for air. I actually go to exercise class with a group of people. I would have never done this ,for one I am very shy and uncomfortable exercising in front of people, I couldn't breath while exercising and my self worth was none. I volunteer helping special needs kids, which I wouldn't do before because I was ashamed of the way I smell. So let me tell you there is life without smoking. I enjoying waking up and knowing there is things to do in life, and there is people out there to me meet and gaining new friends and having a social life again is way better than being a slave to the Nico dude. Another great thing in my life I have learned so much about me and learned I am as valuable as anyone else, but I am still a work in progress. So to the newbies, I challenge you to think beyond the life of smoking and really visualize what you think life could be like for you. What kind of things can you do again that you enjoy doing that smoking kept you from.doing. Get excited about your quits! Find your determination and go this your final quit. Think positive and KNOW YOU CAN do anything your set your mind to. Know that all the discomfort you experience in the beginning will not last forever, and it is so worth the effort so get to the other side of life after smoke.
The great thing about this group is you don't have to go alone through this journey. We are your cheerleaders! Use us and come here for help, vent frustrations, read and learn all you can. I know for me I would have never made it through this journey to new life without the great Elders and support I received here. Again, another great thing of life without smoking is all the great people and friends I have met here. So to my Elders THANK YOU for putting up with my tantrums and knowing what to say to help me get through this journey and keeping me on the curvy and narrow path to freedom. So to the newbies, stick to the path of freedom and you will not regret it. Stick with NOPE! It will take you to freedom.
