Perhaps this may be premature, perhaps not! In any case, due to the success of my quit, I can honestly and comfortably call my self a non-smoker. For the past 28 years I have sucked on theses disgusting things, the addiction is just that, yet, it�s an addiction that I believe will never totally go away. It gets better, but it will never totally leave my brain. I put it there and it wont leave because I told it to. That's ok, I have a great handle on it though, I sincerely believe that I have beaten its grip, beat it to where I can manage it and control it. I am finally free, free to breath, to run, to live my life without being attached to this horrible, lifeless piece of garbage! I am confident that I will never let it stand between me and my ways of thinking nor my ways of living. I will never again let it control my life!! Never again will it stand between me and my children, no more will I put my family in jeopardy from second hand smoke.
It was a hard quit, I can not deny that. I suffered from its claws, the ones that wanted to pull me back in. I never let it get the best of me though; I fought a hard fight and I WON, for now and for ever! I have re-adjusted some of my life style to include, limiting my trigger points, keeping a positive attitude and walking away from situations I can�t change! Thus, I don�t smoke to satisfy my stress! I Don�t smoke when I get pissed off.
Along the way, people tried to shoot my quit down, surprisingly, by people that I trusted and thought highly of, colleagues if you will. I got words from one person who said, �Jim, you will never last out the week� One person tried handing me a cig every time he saw me. But I hung in there, never once did I fall to there temptation. I will remember these people, I will indeed. For when they try to quit there addiction, I will help them in any way I can. I will give them support. I will help them with there craving, I will see to it that they do not falter. And should they fall, I will not pick them up; instead, I will catch them before they hit the ground like so many of you did for me!
So, to all of you who helped me win back my life, who made me see that I have a choice, who cared when others didn�t, who supported me through words of wisdom, words of kindness, words of la