This Quit journey is filled with soooo many amazing and powerful lessons along the way. Twists and turns here and there...and unexpected challenges to deal with.
We get to see life, and learn to live it without the foggy smoke screen. All the sudden, there we are, learning to deal with stuff that we never realized is there ... What a ride :) And I found out one thing - we can't do it alone.
I started out without a plan - just Quit one day, cold turkey... found a pack of smokes in the car one day after I'd Quit ~ and Lady walked me through gettin' rid of them immediately!! (I didn't know what to do, I just sat there staring at them and IMing Lady and saying, wow... a whole pack!)... Thanks, Lady, for being there that day and for staying with me till that pack was drenched in the sink :)
I also found support by reading posts - as others before me had taken the time to share their stories, their challenges, their experiences. And I learned so much about what to do and not do...
This site kept me Quit in the beginning as it can for anyone who is committed to staying Quit...
I struggled with going on vacation as something told me that I may not be OK with my Quit... I just didn't feel safe at the time... and Lady said to me - CA will be there later on, Healer, "It isn't going anywhere" ... my beloved Malibu IS still there, and I am still Quit and will go when I'm ready.
And I have also learned not to take life so seriously... Coping skills regarding staying Quit are mandatory... And coping skills in life we learn on this journey as well... that heavy smoke screen protected us from living our lives, friends...
Cobenfan was my touchstone when I was so afraid of losing my Quit... my fears were short-lived, but I know that without her strength that she allowed me to borrow, and her focus and compassion, I may well have lost my Quit back then. PrincessC brings so much compassion and clarity, while Sunflower reminds me that the innocence is always there if only we look. Kare is always there remembering the dates and the celebrations, she is the gentle reminder of who we are and what we bring to others.
I posted here one night when I felt like my world was truly falling apart... I had never felt such a broken heart as I did