Photo by Chris Nagahama on Unsplash
After a challenging couple of years and as this wave of COVID passes, we hopefully (fingers crossed), can look forward to a happy and heathy New Year. In the meantime, congratulations and a big hat tip to all of you who have continued to visit the EX site and the community. Focusing on the value of being tobacco free, in the midst of other challenges, is a tangible way to ‘change the things I can’.
Kudos to any of you who have been stopped for a while. Each day you are smoke free is a tremendous gift to yourself. The fact that you are checking in here at EX now is a testimony to your commitment to stay smoke free, and to your generosity in being here to support others in quitting.
For those who are just stopping, or making a New Year resolution to begin living a tobacco free life, a special congratulations. Even though your mind may not yet be comfortable with your new way of being, it will get better. Reward yourself. Do something you wouldn’t normally do or buy something you wouldn’t normally buy with the money you are not sending to the tobacco companies.
Remember that you are not alone. Checking in with the EX community is a great way to find support and tap into the experience of others. Stopping smoking is the single best thing a person can do to prevent serious illness, and reaching out to the community can be a life-saver.
Michael V. Burke, Ed.D
