I’m very proud to say that yesterday was my official quit date. I’ve said over & over again for a little over 6 years now that I wanted to quit smoking. In June of this year it would’ve made 16 years that I’ve been smoking. Finally on 1/3/2021 I actually committed to my goal and I’m sticking to it. What pushed me to actually quit for real this time was being out of cigarettes and the money I did have was needed for bills. Normally that’s not like me at all, if I was out of cigarettes I’d either spend the money I needed for bills and just be short until I can pay the rest or scram through the house or my car like a crackhead looking for change to either buy cigarettes or get a black & mild. Yesterday was different. I had said once again my New Years resolution was to quit smoking. I was tired of letting cigarettes control my life & take over me. I finally decided to take back control of my life. I will no longer be a victim to nicotine. Not to mention all the money that was being spent on buying cigarettes. I’d say my husband & I spent roughly about $300 each month buying cigarettes. I never thought I’d be able to quit smoking, my addiction was so strong I didn’t know if I’d be able to live without cigarettes. Literally anytime I’d get stressed out, feel my anxiety starting to get bad, get upset or mad, when I’d go into a rage, even when I was bored my go to was a cigarette. Just the thought of putting a cigarette in between my lips & lighting it up taking that first initial puff seemed to relieve anything and everything that was on my mind or whatever I was going through that cigarette was all that was on my mind. Even if nothing was on my mind smoking that cigarette made time pass by & just made me feel relaxed. Without a cigarette in my mind I thought I just wouldn’t be able to cope, I kept thinking in my mind if I don’t have a cigarette, how am I supposed to get through the day when my emotions started going crazy on me? If the number one thing in my mind was that cigarettes calmed me down and kept my nerves under control. I guess that’s why it took me so long to finally get the courage to quit. My best advice to anybody trying to quit, make sure you’re ready. I know it says on pretty much any blog/webpage/book/etc to prep yourself to quit. Set a date as your quit date, they say preferably 2 weeks from the day you’re wanting to quit & work your way towards being smoke free. I personally didn’t do that, but if you are trying to quit and need the time to prep yourself, do it. When you get cravings to smoke, try to hold off for as long as you can. Remind yourself over & over again why you want to quit, write all of your reasons down, post it somewhere you can always see it, write notes of inspiration to yourself, plant it firmly in your mind that you’re going to live smoke free, & always get as much support & encouragement from people as you can. It’s possible to do it alone, but with a great support group, people who have been through the same struggles as you have & know just how hard it is, can motivate you to be committed and it will help you stay more encouraged and committed to quitting then trying to do it alone. A good support system is key. Also, another thing to keep in mind while you’re trying to quit and once you’ve made the decision weather it be your first day or you recently just quit, stay away from your friends and family who do smoke, try to avoid anywhere that reminds you of smoking, throw away anything you have that reminds you of smoking. Since yesterday was my quit day, I deep cleaned my house to get the smell of cigarettes out of my house and threw away everything in my house that was associated with smoking. Now I don’t have to steadily be reminded about smoking because there’s nothing in my house to remind me of it, and my house smells fresh, I’ve washed pretty much everything in my house to make sure I got the smell out & mopped my floors multiple different times. My beautiful sweet daughters mean everything in this world to me, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them! As a parent, I decided for the health & future of my children cigarettes wouldn’t be my priority anymore! I want better for my children. My husband & I are also trying for another baby. The past 2 months we’ve conceived but it has turned into a chemical pregnancy where we lost the baby & I don’t know for certain but in my heart I believe it was because of smoking. Especially since I was smoking between 1-2 full packs by myself in one day. I witnessed multiple times family members struggling with serious health issues due to smoking and some even passed away. My mother was just recently diagnosed with COPD and a few other health issues all related to smoking. I don’t want that for myself & especially not for my children! They deserve better! I wish nothing but the best for my babies now, as they grow up & once they get my age & older. I hope they never pick up on the habit of smoking, hopefully now that I’m a non-smoker and they won’t be exposed to cigarettes at home from their mommy & daddy ( My husband is quitting with me as well so that right there makes it easier on me since I’m not alone quitting one of the hardest habits to kick) , they’ll never want to pick up a cigarette & take that 1st hit. That’s all it takes, just one cigarette & you can be hooked, half of the time for the rest of your life. I’m thankful I haven’t got any serious health issues from smoking as long as I did. My chest does hurt every now & then and if I go for a walk I do get shortness of breathe & I can’t run for the life of me, if I even tried my chest would get super tight feeling like I’m about to pass out and it’d take a good while just for me to catch my breath. I may be very early on in this new journey of my life, but I’ve got full determination, motivation, a strong mindset, encouragement, and faith in myself as well as a strong support system by my side every step of the way. I know I can keep my goal, I have no doubt in my heart. I’m ready to get back healthy, it will take time for my body to heal, slowly but surly I will start to feel better and get back to old activities I used to do before I smoked. No matter what obstacles life throws at you, you’re strong enough to overcome them. Keep pushing forward no matter how hard things get. The outcome is worth every second of the ups and downs you will go through. Just think of it as being a bump in the road and this too shall pass. You’re mind is a very powerful thing, you just have to stay positive no matter what. Nicotine is very addictive making it seem as if you need it, but I personally can tell you from my own experience that you don’t! I’m using the patch along with the nicotine gum/lozenge (maybe 2-3 times a day) to help me but if you can do it cold turkey I give props to you! For me though, the patch is working wonders for me! Smoking a cigarette hasn’t even crossed my mind. I’m actually surprised & super proud of myself today as it’s been a very long stressful day. & as I’ve mentioned, stress is my #1 trigger to smoke a cigarette. I’ve had 2 small cravings today, but I didn’t let cigarettes get the best of me this time. While sitting in the emergency room with my family and my in laws, I fought through those cravings! I said to myself both times, I’m quitting for my children’s health as well as mine and I will not let nicotine win. Not this time! Other than those 2 small cravings with everything that’s going on and all the stress I’m dealing with, I stayed strong & remembered my goal. That right there took a lot. If I can do it, I promise you that you can too! You just have to put your mind to it. I know this post is a bit long, so if you’ve read through my whole post thank you! I just wanted to share my own personal story with everybody to let y’all know you’re not alone in this journey and with god all things are possible.
Stay strong & don’t give up!
Make your own quotable quotes. Mine follow. Add yours. It will help keep your mind off "you know what."
Actually we're just fine - the way we are.
Adhere to the positives, abstain from the negatives, allow for the possibilities
Be the best that you can be - God doesn’t ask for anything more.
Be who you are, because anything else is unworthy of you, and you are worth more than you can imagine.
Can't figure it out? That's ok. Persevere anyway.
Courage is a condition that occurs when you least expect it.
Don't EVER give up. On your dreams, your determination, your belief in yourself.
Do hope for the best. Dreams evolve into destiny. And destiny is dreams that have been pursued.
Eventually - we'll figure it out.
Escape from the mediocre. Turn off your TV and create your own entertainment. It will enrich your spirit.
Forgive and forget. Well, at least forgive.
Forget about IT - whatever IT may be that’s haunting you. Unless it finally pushes you to action.
Graduate to a new view if the old one provides no beauty for your soul.
Go for it. For it you don't try, you'll never know what's possible.
Hold onto hope. For it is your salvation.
Have your forgotten your purpose here? Then simply look in someone else’s face and seek to bring them joy.
I am, you are, he is, we are, they are...all in it together. I am, you are, he is, we are, they are....not alone in the daily wondering, hurting, loving aloneness that is being human.
If you must doubt, do not despair
Just because you’re afraid to, doesn’t mean you Can’t.
Jump off the end of the limb - if you fail, at least you’ve know flight - however briefly.
Know as much as you can about at least ONE subject. That will make you feel worthwhile - at least in your own eyes. And what else really matters?
Learn from your mistakes and love the lesson.
Leap across the void of Can’t to Can.
Manage a moment of gratitude every day - why not?
Memorize the face of those you love. They won’t be around forever.
Manipulate the negatives out of your life. They serve no purpose.
Marry your love to your actions. Your heart will grow.
Maintain perseverance against your foes, for they are adhering to this very vow.
Nod to a stranger with a hello. Doesn’t it cheer you when they do it to you?
Nobody said life was fair. TV and Hollywood don’t count.
Never doubt yourself, but ALWAYS doubt an unkind word said about you.
Opportunity knocks on everyone’s door. The trick is to be brave enough to open it.
Put yourself in someone else’s place. You may find wisdom there.
Question doctors, governments and yourself. Healing comes from within
Quit aggravating the situation by picking at it. Find a new scab and let the old one heal.
Rest assured that what is true today may not be true tomorrow. And if it is, it’ll probably be different.
Reason it out. Don’t just let emotions control your being.
Remember to love - something - each day. No matter how hard that may seem to be.
Require excellence of yourself. It is what God expects.
Rue not your lacks. Rather rejoice in your abilities, however mean.
Say a prayer for someone each day. It will take you out of yourself.
Stand strong in your beliefs. It builds character.
Stay honest with yourself. Delusions create false realities.
Tame the temptation within and terrify the tormentor.
Tread not into the paths of self doubt, unless you need the lesson, for there is One who has no doubts about you.
Treat everyone you meet with an open heart. Caring and loving are a normal part of our species.
Trust in....... (YOU fill in the blank. The less, the greater the fear. The more, the greater the capacity for love.)
Thank someone for something every day. It will acknowledge that you’re not totally selfish.
Unconditional love - try it on. It’s an invisible cloak utterly transparent to God.
Utter words that transcend, not banalities that add to the mediocre.
Vie for what is right and fair and just, not for the petty. The petty is not pretty.
Voice your opposition to that which is wrong. Add it to the caring multitudes.
When everything seems lost remember that tomorrow it will change - in some way.
Wondering what might have been serves absolutely no purpose except to keep you awake at night.
When in doubt, trust your instincts, even if they’re wrong. They’re more right than any surmise.
You are, you can, you will be.....(fill in the blank with your own determinative positive)
Zoos are meant to be visited. They remind us there are other cages than our own.