I was thinking again as I am now BRONZE....my quit meter just sent me a big born smiling elephant..........aaaahhhhhh nice I am now a QUARTERIE!!!!
I realize I never have to pick another quit date, then smoke like a chimney to get plenty of nicotine in, before the date would arrive. Then those dates would come & go and ended up feeling like a weakling because the quit didn't last or just didn't start. We all know the reasons; too much stress now, an important project to complete, family issues, money issues, sick, vacation coming up, etc, etc, etc....
I realize I never have to buy those expensive nicotine replacement therapy supplies again; you know those patches, gums, lozengers and pills that never worked, but were so highly recomended. It's too late to take back those 40 years of bondage, but I'm done with the anger and disgust, that I didn't stop long ago or that I ever started smoking.....What is important is that I AM QUIT TODAY.
I never have to leave the company of my family & friends ever again at gatherings, holidays, anniversaries, parties, funerals, etc to be alone to feed my FORMER ADDICTION, then try to hide the fact that I just ingested nicotine. You remember: wash hands, brush teeth, suck on cough drops, apply perfume....well it did fool some of them, but mostly myself.....
I never have to arrange my days around my nicotine addiction. What a bother it was making sure I was daily fully supplied with my smokes, ever if I just went for a short walk. If I travel now I can do so with ease without constant stops to feed my addiction. I have so much more time now........to do good/fun things with my Grandkids.....
I remember that one day, I finally became so enraged(the feeling went way beyond anger) at myself, I just stopped COLD TURKEY, threw away all my cigarettes, lighters and cleaned my car ashtray. Sometime during that first hazy week, I went online looking for some info on that funny feeling in my legs (hello-oxogen was now running thr those leg veins-I was healing!!!) and by trial & error I found the tools from WWW.WHYQUIT.COM and Joel Spitzer's document "Never Take Another Puff and