Beautifully said... [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/6/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 4 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 87 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $20 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 28 [B]Seconds:[/B] 1

Nonic, I have thought of the word "quitting" in this way as well, as it implies defeat. Trust me your not alone, symantics are very important, and affect us more than any of us realize. "Stop smoking" was the better way to say it that I came up with as well. Puts you in command. Audrey :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/16/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 54 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,090 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $151.2 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 5 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 17 [B]Seconds:[/B] 24

Audrey I feel the same...although I know what people mean when they say they are quitting, the words that we tell ourselves are so important...Its almost magical...But I am sure grounded in Pavlovian theory... Stay strong I think you are beautiful for being here... nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 76 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,843 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $532 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 14 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 50

tryagain I am so happy that you have found that image of yourself that is a non-smoker. It is so important for me to continually put that one up in my minds eye. I am now to the point (and I say this with fear and trembling) where I cannot "see" myself ever with a smoke in my hand...Mind you I still have the sence of wanting one, but as long as I have that picture embedded in my mind, I am a non-smoker and it sounds as if you are as well... This is one horrible mind game and so much of it depends on the story that we tell ourselves...Make yourself the hero in your own story and it will be so... Stay strong out there you are making a difference every day and your strength will compound with the passing of time... nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 76 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,842 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $532 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 14 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 14

Hello my friends I hope you are all well and getting on with our mutual task today...It occurred to me that there is a subtle distinction that we ought to explore regarding this task... We are all here because we have chosen to be here. I find it highly unlikely that anyone is standing over you at this moment saying "ok its time for you to be on the SSC, now do your lessons or you can't have any cake today" So it can be assumed that we are acting with free will in this...Thats good because the process of no longer listening to our addiction is one of free choice... I cringe when ever anyone talks about "giving up" smoking...Not because I think they should smoke, but because the phrase implies losing something or other...Which further implies the imposition of some kind of drudgery, or a new kind of slavery to replace the old slavery we have experienced under the reign of King Nicotine... For me this has been a trap...Never forget that words are very important, they are the children of thoughts and the parents of action. Thoughts are the things that make up the story that we tell ourselves about who we are and what we are doing. Words are the representation of thoughts that we use to tell ourselves and others about who we are and what we are doing...Words are in effect the periodical table of our minds...So just as a chemist is very careful about the elements that he joins together, lest he or she cause an explosion or some other disaster, we too must choose our words with the greatest of care. Words do indeed cause actions that manifest change in the physical world. So having said all of that, I would prefer to say I am stopping smoking...In the first instance because it says I am making a choice...I am choosing not to smoke, therefore I am not being denied anything or submitting to any new regime that will imprison my little soul...No indeed it is a very strong statement of freedom...In choosing not to smoke I am choosing all of the positive results of that decision. To say I am giving up smoking implies that I am denying myself something that I really want...When in truth that which I desire is the result of choosing not to smoke... This may be just symantics to some, but to me it has been a key element in how I need to think

oops Thats not right, believe me, I would rather be at 1000 days than 75, and for sure, the amount of time spent smokeless does make the journey easier. My point was that most of this fight is perspective and the ability to accept that cigaretts are terrible killers that have no place in our lives...That is actually a hard concept for us addicts to believe... nonic

Rusty Thanks for that, it does break my heart to see people struggle so hard in denying themselves...Don't get me wrong I know how difficult this is, but it is the perspective that eases the pain, not the amount of time that one goes without a smoke... nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 75 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,808 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $525 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 14 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 49

Good stuff Serenity2. nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 75 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,810 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $525 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 14 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 16 [B]Seconds:[/B] 19

faith Isn't that just the truth...Thinking makes it so...That dosen't mean that we do not have to do the work, but having the idea and the identity of a non-smoker clearly embedded in your mind gives you such and advantage. It takes practice, but once you have told yourself what you are and what you are doing, you stop fighting with yourself. Thats really wierd, but its how it goes for me... Stay well nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 77 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,867 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $539 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 14 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 57 [B]Seconds:[/B] 33

As usual, Nonic, your beautiful way with words has once again struck a very important chord. The symantics of words is critically important to my quit. It was only once I understodd that I am a drug addict and that I CHOSE to stop smoking, that I have been successful. In every other quit attempt, the mindset was SO wrong, so focused on what I was "giving up". Once you make that change in your thinking, it makes becoming a nonsmoker truly a reality, rather than a wistful dream. Thank you for your words, Nonic. Keep the faith [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 154 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,198 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1232 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 20 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 19