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Give and get support around quitting

Samanthadoom
Member

Transitions

Would quitting smoking be a big transition or a small transition?

Let me share this story and then I will revisit how this relates to whether quitting smoking is a big transition or small transition.

I thought about this at yoga this morning. I was holding a tree pose and my instructor suggested I close my eyes and lean back. The concept brought so much resistance in my head but, I did it anyways.  I fell out of my pose. 

As I went to gather myself back into a beautiful tree pose, my instructor said this:

"In life, whenever we fall, it is just an opportunity, a step towards achieving what we want. Some people will beat themselves up when they fall. Today, I would like you to smile when you fall and recognize it is not a mistake or a set back. Just a part of the process of your growth towards what you wish to achieve". 

I share this with all of you because...it is ok to fall and get back up again. How else would we grow? 

So, I challenged myself to close my eyes and bend backwards again in this balancing pose and smiled when I fell. I would rather challenge myself to improve than keep my eyes open and relish my perfection in one state.

As promised, I will share how this relates to quitting smoking and transitions. A big transition is a life event like starting a new job, moving, or any other aspect that would completely transform the environment around us, good or bad. A small transition is harder. That is changing a diet, exercising, and or starting a new regime in an already existing environment. 

"No wonder it is so hard to quit smoking!", I thought to myself while holding this pose this morning.

For I have to quit and make this transition in... my life.

That I will have to make this transition in my existing, everyday life.

There is no big transition coming that will force me to make this choice. 

I have to choose to make this choice as...my choice.

That means I have to be prepared for those moments I would smoke and fill that time in my life with...something else.

I have to be willing to fill that space with a small transition, on my own, and on my own terms.

That void will not be filled by another person.

It is a very hard space for all of us to enter.

It is a vulnerable space.

And we are champions for choosing to enter it.

In that sense, this is a small transition that takes one small step: Quit and do not ever look back or go back.

From there, it is a life changing transition that will not happen over night.

That is the difference, my friends, between a big transition and a small transition.

The big one is sudden and not often chosen.

We embrace big transitions with a sense of letting go because they are so big that we have to let go!

The small transitions take choice and, that takes patience with ourselves, our lives, and our hearts.

We must embrace those moments we used to smoke with

A present state of mind (do not beat yourself up, smile),

Self love,

Self compassion,

And the willingness to close our eyes,

Fall down,

And get back up again,

WITHOUT a cigarette to get us through those moments. 

#mindfulness #transitions

Sending love and sunshine.

Samantha 

12 Replies
indingrl
Member

CONGRATS and GOOD JOB and WAY TO GO!

sweetplt
Member

HI and Welcome to Ex’sSamanthadoom ...I agree we shouldn’t beat ourselves up...but disagree quitting and choosing to quit is a big transition and we need to realize when we fall it can lead to lung cancer and/or all sorts of cancers...so when and if we fall...we need to realize this could be the smoke that can lead to a big transition...that being said...I would suggest you read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and plan your quit date and prepare for it like no other...read the blogs...and keep close to the site.  You can do this ...and best of all...it helps with our mindfulness/meditation...Thank you hon for sharing your thoughts ... it is good you are thinking through the journey...Happy Monday ~ Colleen 217 DOF NOPE 

Samanthadoom
Member

Thanks for your feedback. I do have a quit date and have been on here preparing for that day next Monday. It’s ok if you do not agree with me as I understand your point of view too about medical concerns:) Thabk you for your reminder to finish all the steps in my quit plan. I just went over to that section and worked on my support system and triggers. I have no idea still how I will fill the time when I am without anything to do. I used to fiercely smoke cigarettes and drink coffee writing mega lists during that time when I had nothing to do to come up with everything I wanted to do. I do that with the ecig now. I hate not having anything to do. I am constantly on the go and an artist. I also have a lot of regrets that haunt me so that makes it hard too to quit.

I am just coming from a place where quitting is the first step, the commitment I need to make. That is how I look at it. And I hope if someone else feels the same way then we can support each other in that view point.

 I quit smoking cigarettes two and a half years ago but used an ecig, the juul, to quit. What was supposed to be my temporary tool for quitting cigarettes then turned into a whole new nicotine addiction. I had fooled myself into thinking that I had beat my addiction by smoking a juul e cig for two and a half years. So, alas, the fallin down and picking one self up Is me or anyone who can relate to that.  The small transition is the step, my personal choice, to quit nicotine once and for all. And the big transition is the time after the quit and how life evolves from there. All I am sharing is that there is no big transition forcing me to quit right now or a doctors order. It is a choice right now. That is not to say that is not the case for someone else and my heart goes out to you or anyone if that is the case. Hope you will stay tuned when I do stop as I will need all the support I can get to stay quit. Hope I can inspire someone else like you have me when I am an ex nicotine user. 

Thank you:) 

Samantha 

0 Kudos
sweetplt
Member

/blogs/Maggie_quit_8-1-2010-blog/2012/03/19/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoking?sr=search&searchId=9... 

Samanthadoom 

Above, click and find 100 things to do instead of smoking.  Next Monday will be a great day to quit Juul...we are here to support you...so keep close to the support site...and keep writing on here to sort it out ... this will aid in your journey...~ Colleen

Samanthadoom
Member

So helpful! Thank you for sharing!

maryfreecig
Member

Whatever way you get to quitting juul, yes you can!!!  And Ex will be here for you 365--to listen, to respond, to encourage.

gregp136
Member

Yes, we are here for you, and yes, I also can relate to hanging on to old guilt.  That was one of the hardest hurdles to get across.  Blaming myself and hanging on to old mistakes is my best talent!

Christine13
Member

Wishing you all the best Samantha.  I'm glad you're here.  Everyone will support you here at EX.

I'm a believer in the gentle kindness type of support. Others take different views - but we all have one goal - to let you know that you are not along on this journey - we are all with you - so take what you find useful and leave the rest - to be helpful is our only goal! I enjoyed the tree pose meditation - very inspirational!