Congratulations to all those behind the scenes who have worked so **bleep** the new format . Your months of planning and prepping is appreciated by old timers like myself and I am excited for newcomers to experience their new lives as ex smokers . I know on Ex they will find the support , caring , education and social interaction we all have needed to succeed in a forever quit .
A bit about me for the newcomers .
I am a second life , second chance long term quitter . By that I mean I previously had numerous tries at quitting over decades and one solid 8 year quit I gave away I finally took my quit seriously. I thought one puff , then one cigarette would be enough . It was not . One is never enough .
I smoked for years after that mistake , until smoking related symptoms and an unknown illness became the last straw . Quitting could perhaps give me many more years of time that I missed out on with family , or doing nothing continuing to think I couldn't quit or I'd just die a happy smoker may have cut my life even shorter .
I chose life and here I am again nearing ten years quit . It's not my forever quit yet , but I continue to take one day at a time . I remember in my early days how that word forever terrified me but it's a great start and I love being an Ex smoker . In ten years I've been to weddings , to births of grandkids , to birthday parties , Christmas parties , vacations , BBQ parties , tried new hobbies , and taken new adventures and the list goes on . Quitting has not cheated me of a thing .
I went into this quit with an attitude to do what I could do and change what I could change ; to learn from my past mistakes and never think just one is ok . Also I kept it as simple as I could by saying no to temptation to buy beg , share or bum one . The practise of no under any circumstance kept it simple . Smoking could not be an option .
I journaled my quit for me but also decided I'd open my self and journal my journey for others as well , so what you read in my journal I've not sugar coated . I know honesty and truth were so important to me , the good and the bad .
I don't write things to scare people into quitting . You will know when your time is right and I think you know yourself what it will take to start your quit and eventually keep it forever . I am confident you have the gifts within you that you need to succeed . If you don't see them yet , you will . One day at a time will reveal them to you . You are right where you are suppose to be every day in the journey .Trust the process and keep moving forward towards the goal and outcome your looking for .
Just recently I had a very rough blow . Many serious and life changing things all at one time . Life hasn't changed . There will always be the unexpected, the trials , joys , sadness , etc etc . It's life . No one is excempt of these things .
The build up of these things saddened me so much I could have , and thought of throwing in the towel quite willingly . A Choice I made . We always have that option that free will to smoke or not but the lessons I learned by my past mistakes saved me again from another day 1. So , you see I'm ten years quit but no better than the quitter with more years and no better than the quitter with less years .
To newcomers welcome . I mostly blog ( long blogs ) so if you find that overwhelming I understand , been there . I know in the beginning how hard it is to read long blogs but if you have read at least this one do know I will be routing each and every one of you on each and every day and I have every bit of confidence that you will find on Ex what will help you .
I know you may not feel this yet and are scared but welcome to some of the best days ever on Ex . This is from a person who smoked twenty eight years , forty cigs a day , who never thought she could quit . Who entered a strange and foreign land of the net scared , alone , and helpless my mind ,with hope as big as the eye of a needle . Look forward , so when you look back you will only see the blessings each trial has given you . Start writing a list of all the things you have ever wanted to do but not yet tried and start doing them .
