I have smoked for almost 40 years. I have not smoked for 4 days.(YAY! YAY YAY and I WILL be successful this time!)
I have had two children and stopped smoking during pregnancy both times until finished breast feeding both times. I have been through Harsh military environments where I could not smoke for several days and been fine. I have always been able to travel the world and go 36 hours of traveling without dying from not smoking. But I have allowed a small tobacco filled paper to control me for 40 years.
I too have made my own family and friends be inconvenienced because I needed 5 minutes to smoke a cigarette during an outing. Both of my daughters smoke and I know that it is because I basically made that okay by showing them such a grand example their growing up lives.
I am HAPPY to take control back of my life. What's different this time?
#1 - The public environments have become completely intolerant and remind me continuously how disgusting and bad smoking is
#2 - The television has been reminding me several times a day how disgusting and bad smoking is
#3 - The mirror is now showing me how the disgusting and bad habit of smoking has damaged my skin and hair and teeth
#4 - I could possibly become a Grammy in the next couple of years from one of my adult children and I may not be able to play with that precious child
#5 - I am getting close to retirement and I want to enjoy it with my husband
NONE of these elements were in place any of the other times that I tried to quit. How sad is it that I needed these extremes to convince myself to be the strong person that I already am against something as small as a stupid tubular piece of paper filled with leaves?