Today is a good day. It marks the 3 year anniversary of the day I looked at the cigarette that I was lighting, and said no.
I put my carton away in my shed, and stopped to get some Nicotine patches. A day or 2 later I realized I chose the wrong level of the patch and so bought the middle step. A few days after that I bought the lowest step. 10 days after my last cigarette was my last patch. . I also used the herbal product SmokeAway for a few weeks to help.
I choose the attitude of gratitude and went up to my shed and got those remaining packs of cigarettes. I think there were 6 or 7 packs left. I took those cigarettes and shredded each one while giving thanks for their part in my life but releasing them at the same time. I had thought of giving these cigarettes to a neighbor, but felt I needed this celebration – just me and my cigarettes. On my dog walk (a piece of agility equipment) since this is one of the sports I play with my dogs. Once the cigarettes were released from my life, I wrote my thanks and request for continued guidance on a white ribbon, which I released to the wind and the moon. That ribbon floated a bit, almost as if it was seeking its own memories, and then gracefully flew into the night
I still give thanks each and every time I smell a smokers car, a smoker walks by or even is in the same room. I keep body lotions that smell good to me and treat myself to these lotions each day (lavender and rosewater are my 2 chosen scents). I give thanks when I see smokers huddled in the doorways or having that look in their eye that says a craving is calling – I give thanks that I am no longer one of those people that gets up in the middle of the night for a cigarette and I give thanks that I no longer start feeling pressure when I am down to my last pack. That pressure is why I chose to keep that mostly full carton since by having the cigarettes available, I could simply choose not to smoke.
For those just starting their smoke free journey, I also kept a note card of all the reasons I choose not to smoke in my purse as well as a letter written to the child within me who felt she needed to smoke. I have had quits before, but there were struggles. For me, choosing gratitude and giving myself the option to smoke at all times, but requesting a good reason to light up that cigarette has worked. You see, there really is no good reason to smoke. There are many bad reasons to smoke, but honestly when I truly asked deeply, other than making the craving go away there was no good reason – and making the craving go away is short lived at best since it will be back. When those cravings hit, I learned to ride the wave of the craving and reread my list and realize this is a life choice; by choosing not to smoke I choose to be kind to myself and others.
Good luck to you all.
Nameste.
