Give and get support around quitting
All these recent posts about our tricky minds reminded me of a dream I had last night. I was in line at a convenience store behind a woman who asked the clerk for a pack of her cigarettes. The clerk said it was cheaper per pack to buy a carton, and the woman said, “No thanks, I’m trying to quit. If I buy the carton, I’ll smoke them all”. When I woke up, I remembered how I lied to myself that way for years. For 30 some years I always bought cartons. Then 12 years ago, I got “serious” about quitting again. Told myself I would only buy one pack and quit after that. Then I bought one more pack. Then one more. At 15 cigarettes a day, times 365 days in a year, divided by 20 cigarettes in a pack, times 10 years – that’s 2,740 times I told myself this is the last pack I’m buying! What's that old saying about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?
Hahahaha! That's so funny I had to go back and read it. There are lots of words that could go there!!
Exactly! lol
I filled in the blank with two words, which goes to show I've been reading too much social media!!! I didn't realize that EX actually bleeped posts.
Lol!
I always bought cartons...when I quit, I ended up giving away eight unopened packs in a carton and the one pack that was opened, I ran under water and tore the cigarettes apart. I did not want them in my house...my quit was not scheduled, it was something I had tried to do over and over again but EX pulled me through.
Ellen
Man look how cool I look with this cigarette in my hand.
How about I am going to quit one day. Don't know how but I will. I rarely bought a carton. I was a thrifty smoker.
My stupid lie was, "Well, I can still run a half marathon and complete a Sprint triathlon..." The truth is I was able to do those things in spite of the fact I smoked. In reality, I have no idea what damage my years of smoking did to me. That's a scary thought, and one that will keep me from returning to that former state of being.
I don't think I told myself a stupid lie as I agreed to remain stupid. I knew smoking wasn't good for me. But I smoked anyway. I knew I was being stupid to do so. Stupid does as stupid is. UNTIL I learned that this was an addiction and not just a bad habit. Then my stupid became smart and I quit.
Here Here, I know the feeling of stupid smoking.