The old blog is gone. There were quite a few informative
entries of encouraging words, but it's time this blog got a face lift. If
you've purchased a copy of You Too Can Quit, then you know some of the blog
entries are inside the book. If you'd like to read them, and the journal of my quitting
experience, it's all inside You Too Can Quit, along with step-by-step
instructions for your own quitting experience.
It's been four years, five months and some days since I quit
smoking. January 25th 2011 was the last day I took a drag off of a
cigarette. Since that day, I can proudly say I've never regretted a moment in-between.
Here is a quote from the eighth entry in my journal from the book, You Too Can
Quit, titled "The Real Quit Date," and re-numbered: Day one.
The Real Quit Date
Day one:
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
I finished off the few drags this morning—now I am really done…I am on
day eight, yet up until today it's been a piece of cake because I have been
cheating! …My husband of course is counting this as day one. I have taken to
standing my ground…I am not in the mood to argue over petty things.
Since re-reading the daily journal portion in my book, You
Too Can Quit, my face bears a perm-a-grin. I wouldn't say that I'd do anything different,
but to stop smoking takes guts. A person really has to find what works best for
them, jump in with both feet, lodge a stick between their teeth, and bear down.
Looking back, no matter how you chose to quit, the important part is that the
job gets done.
We've all heard (and used) the excuses. You'd like to quit,
but don't quite have the time, or maybe you aren't quite ready to give it up. You know the extra money would come in handy, but things are stressful right now. I'll have to wait for winter, or vacation time, or after the kids go to camp. It's too hard. Even when they're face-to-face with poor health.
One thing that nags at every smoker is their health.
Nobody wants to talk about it, or think about it, but each time they get a good
report from the Doctor (along with a reminder to quit smoking), there is a
sense of relief. Almost like you can actually hear the little devil on your
shoulder saying, "Good, now you can smoke worry free for a while." 'For
a while' are the two most important words in that sentence. How long is "a while?"
Yes, I had those thoughts. Sighs of relief moments are great aren’t they? January 25th
2011 - I stopped smoking. I'd smoked for forty years. That very next January,
2012, one year smoke free and very proud of myself as I should be, I had some
medical issues. Tests were run. One of those tests revealed that I came away
from forty years of smoking with a little lung damage. Here I thought I'd stopped
before harm to my health. Talk about self-deception. Common sense should have
shouted: "Forty years of smoking a pack a day will have a price!"
Yes, at least I had quit. The damage is small, which now
surprises me. Why? Once you quit smoking you can be honest with yourself about
what is really important to you. I'm ashamed that I'd been in denial for all
those years about the possibility that I was harming my health. But what if I
hadn't stopped? What if I'd kept lying to myself and ignoring the angel on the
other shoulder? Every human being deserves a long and healthy life. Each life
is so precious and fragile. Today you may get a clean bill of health report
from your doctor—but if you're still smoking you're a ticking time-bomb. You're
gambling with time. Time spent with your family. Time spent traveling in your
retirement years.
Don't you dream of a day when you aren't slave to a drag
from a cigarette? Wouldn't you love to have the extra money to do something, or
have something you want? You deserve to live a long full life, doing things you'd
like to do. There is only one chance, and when it's over, it's over.
I wish I could say quitting smoking is easy. We all know better,
but I can tell you that it is worth every struggle. That struggle passes so
quickly and even goes away in a short time.
My book, You Too Can Quit, is filled with helpful advice,
step-by-step how-to, and entries of my day-by-day journey. After you've read
this book you'll be convinced, if I can do it, you certainly can too!
You can purchase your copy of You Too Can Quit right from
this site, or for a short time I am offering an
author signed copy, with free shipping and a free inspirational bookmark.
Simply follow this link.
