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NOPE

nooooooope

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nope, and in honour of international artists day, my humble version of Starry night by Vincent Van Gogh....

Nope because I am never giving up.

NOPE

G'day NOPE better late than never C

Congratulations @Parsley for being smoke free for 2 months. Well done for growing your quit to be two months old. What a great achievement and things are just going to keep improving. So I don't forget, rewards are all part of the quit process (the better part) so make sure you do something special to acknowledge the effort you have put in to stay true to the NOPE. Your contributions around the word are already helping those coming behind.

Thank you so much Reciprocity and Sazerac for remembering my anniversary, and everybody else for your great comments !!! I have been traveling for the past week, so I have not had much chance to come here until today. It takes about 10 years to repair physically much of the damage that smoking caused to our bodies, so I like to think of anniversaries in this manner. At 6 years, I am making good progress against the damage that years of smoking did to my body. Of course, we can never repair all of the damage, no matter how long we stay quit. But the point to always remember, is that with each new day between now and our last cigarette, we are increasing the chance of living a normal life in good health, and decreasing the chance of dying from a smoking related disease. That is one of the great gifts of our quits. Add to this better health the tremendous freedom that comes from not smoking, and you then have the best possible gift anybody can give to themselves. Anniversaries are good reminders for the person who remembers to celebrate them, but the real value of anniversaries is that they show the person who is just starting a quit now, that permanent, complete freedom from smoking is never impossible for anybody. Whenever I post to my anniversary threads, the theme of my post is always more for those who are thinking of quitting, or just starting a quit. Sharing the story of my quit, and my journey to where I am today, is really for them. I started smoking cigarettes regularly as a young teenager, my first cigarettes when I was about 12 years old. I smoked for about 30 years, 2 packs a day for most of those years, so I did some serious damage to my body. Still, it is important to remember that we are all physically addicted to nicotine, which is the real reason why we smoked. None of us are "more" addicted, or "less" addicted. Some of us just smoked longer than others, and more frequently than others. I was one of those persons. I never really thought about quitting until the morning of 14 October 2012. I woke up that day, looked at the cigarettes on the table next to my bed, and thought: "Bleah. I´m not sure why, but I really do not want to smoke today. Let´s see if I can not smoke for one day". So I got out of bed without smoking, made some coffee, and did not smoke for the entire day. At the end of the first day I thought: "Hmmm, I kind of like the idea of not smoking, this was not hard to do. Let´s see how long I can last without smoking". Day # 2 was easy too.....and so was Day # 3, and also the next day.....and the next day......and the next day. When I had reached 1 week, I started to notice some amazing things: I could breathe better; I could smell better; my mouth felt cleaner; I had more energy; I could taste food better; I was sleeping better. When I was at 1 week in my quit, my wife noticed that I was not smoking anymore. So she decided to quit too, 8 days after I had quit. I had an easy quit; her quit was the quit from hell. For about 2 months, she was screaming, crying, throwing things, she was a total mess. I decided to look for help for her, and that is how I found the old forum QSMB, when I was at day 36 of my quit, and she was at about 1 month and still having problems with her quit. That is how I became involved with the forum at QSMB, with helping myself, others, and most importantly, became educated about nicotine addiction and the process of quitting smoking. Now, 6 years later, I do not participate as much on internet forums as I did in the past, but I still come here several times a month and help when I can. In real life, I continue to help a lot of people with their quits. Most of the time people ask for my help because of recommendations from other people I have helped in the past. My wife also helps people with quitting smoking. We have thought of opening a quit smoking clinic here focused on cold turkey, but the reality of doing this is that we just do not have the time. I travel a lot for work, and my wife is always very busy. Perhaps we can do this in the future, when we have more time available. My messages for those who are planning to quit, or who are just starting a quit, are very simple: 1. Everybody can quit. It is never impossible for anybody. Only you can complicate your quit, and make it impossible for yourself. 2. Any discomfort you may experience, is never permanent. It always goes away, and you find yourself in a much better life with time. 3. Realize that you are dealing with drug addiction. It affects you profoundly physically; mentally; emotionally; and spiritually. You are in total slavery, and the addiction creates lies in your head that keep you in that slavery. Education exposes those lies, and will set you free. You will grow tremendously as a person, in this new freedom. 4. Educate yourself about nicotine addiction. This information is available at www.whyquit.com and everywhere on the internet. 5. The number 1 rule of quitting smoking, and staying quit, is to make a commitment to yourself to "NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF" (NTAP or sometimes called NOPE "NOT ONE PUFF EVER"). You cannot quit smoking permanently, without this commitment. At this point in my quit, I thank all the people who educated me and inspired me over the years. Some are on this forum, others have moved on in life. Others, unfortunately died awful deaths because of smoking. In some of these instances, their dying and eventual deaths from smoking diseases were posted live every day, in these forums. Still, I am very grateful for all of these people, for they have given me wonderful new perspectives about this horrible addiction, and about our journeys in life. My participation in these forums have greatly increased the quality of my life, and strengthened my quit, over the years. Cristóbal

Wow. Thanks so much guys. I am so happy to have made it to the lido deck. It has certainly been an interesting year. I dint take my quit for granted. Even yesterday I smelt someone’s cigarette smoke and thought how easy it still would be to blow my quit. I previously had had quit for a year and bummed a cigarette off a removalist when I was moving house. That blew that quit and it was around 5 years later before I was able to quit this time. One year ear is a time to celebrate but also reflect on the big picture (how important it is to quit) and the small picture (the way to do this is to not have one). Thanks for for the beautiful messages. Without the people here, I don’t know if my quit would have survived.

NOPE!!

Awesome! @Tammy... I'm putting it in the QT art gallery

NOPE!

Nope

^^ I have that cat! Goodmorning NOPErs... and welcome to another wonderful day of freedom. So yesterday not sure what to shout out to... today spoiled for choice... we have three equally deserving days.... we can choose from greasy food day (yummo), World Pasta Day (hmmm) or International Artists Day.... Have to go with the Artists... to celebrate, visit a gallery or do some art... now I'm thinking pasta day may be the shot too...I could use the saffron I have in the cupboard and make some saffron and poppy seed fettucine.... but what to put in the sauce?????? So eat some pasta, do some art, look at some art or go get a big sloppy burger with the lot (make sure there is a fried egg, pineapple and beetroot for the total experience) but whatever you do don't smoke! NOPE ... not today, not tomorrow, not ever, forever!

NOPE!!!!!!!!!

#NOPE

NOPE!

#NOPE Ciggs are bad

Gday NOPE starts my day C

NOPE!

Thank you! It does feel pretty darn good! And it gets easier every day, someday smoking will just be a bad memory

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

Sorry to sound like a noob, but there's a QT art gallery ????

NOPE!

NOPE

Congratulations @Gordo for being 8 months smoke free. Well done on being a member of the 66%ers... officially 3 quarters of the way through your first year of freedom. I know you have been enjoy all the many benefits of the new you. Would love to hear how you celebrated eight months.

NOPE

NOPE.......

NOPE!!!!!!!!!

NOPE! Happy Friday, everybody!

I have not smoked, not even a little cheat poot puff puff, in 2 weeks!!! It feels good. It's the second longest quit I've had. Still walking on egg shells and having mad cravings, but minute by minute I am making it as a non smoker. N.O.P.E.

It is with great honour I present our first 3D composition from the very creative hands of our favourite little Dutch girl.... @MLMR .. this masterpiece is known simply as "Weedy"

In social, I tagged you. I am supposed to be doing fine motor skills for an hour a day as physio so thought I'd paint and draw and what not... I tagged you in your gallery opening post.

It is with great honour I hang this lovely rendition of Starry Night by a very own, and very talented @Tammy

Oh @WeegieWoman hope you have a blast at chick boxing... once you get comfy with the concepts though consider training with the fellas, if your are there for the exercise/sport you will get way more out of a mixed/mainly bloke session than you ever will out of a chick session. @Boo still did more than me... although getting moving and the endorphin release would have perked you up... miss the post exercise endorphins ? .... went for a walk today though, longest one since I got sick... maybe 3km.... feeling a bit proud.

NOPE...

Deep in the archives, I found another gem from, our friend, Cristóbal Cristóbal's Quit Days % Some people are amazed that even though they may have several weeks or months quit, that they still do not feel completely "normal", and continue to miss smoking. When this happens, figure your "Quit Days %" and then you will see why. The way to calculate this is: Number of Years Smoked x 365 = Smoke Days. Number of Days Not Smoked = Quit Days. Then, Quit Days ÷ Smoke Days = "Quit Days %". --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I will go first, to be the first example. I smoked for about 30 years. 30 years x 365 = 10,950 Smoke Days. As of today, I have not smoked for 5 years, 2 months, 7 days. This period of times = 1904 Quit Days. Then, 1904 Quit Days ÷ 10,950 Smoke Days = 17.388%. This is my "Quit Days %". In other words, even at more than 5 years since my last cigarette, as of today I have been quit for only 17.388% of the total time I smoked. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, let us take as the second example, a smoker who smoked for 30 years, and has been quit for just 4 months. These 4 months might seem like a very long time to the ex-smoker, but it is nothing when compared to 30 years. This smoker who smoked for 30 years, has 30 years x 365 = 10,950 Smoke Days. Quit time of 4 months = 120 Quit Days. 120 Quit Days ÷ 10,950 Smoke Days = Quit Days % of just 1.096%, of the total time the smoker smoked. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Smoking had a deep impact on us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. A lot of the physical damage can be repaired in a time period of about 10 years, but some of it can never be repaired - the damage is done !!! The mental, emotional, and spiritual damage can be repaired much quicker, since all of us at one time were never smokers. None of us started life with a cigarette in the mouth !!! We all know how to live life as non-smokers, we just need to remember how to do it again. And time is what is needed for that to happen. It is my experience working with others, that how quickly one becomes very comfortable in these 3 areas depends on the person and also their understanding of nicotine addiction. The more a person understands the process of separation from the active addiction, it seems to me the quicker the good comfort levels of being a non-smoker return. What is important to understand, is that the first year as a non-smoker will be spent confronting triggers, many of them that are seasonal. Once you arrive at your first year anniversary, most people can say that they are making very good progress adjusting to life as a non-smoker. Cristóbal Edited December 31, 2017 by Cristóbal 1

OMGGGGGGG IT WAS SOOOO FRICKING GOOD ? absolutely L O V E D it! ??

Hey @Linda Thomas apologies for seeing this so late. Hope you are doing well, and hope your friend is better. She's in my prayers too. God bless you for the strength you've shown in keeping your quit. That's amazing. Stay strong.

Weedy was crocheted. I crochet (blankets), lovely in winter to do on the train, and I was crocheting on the train one morning and the young girl opposite (who was from India) said, "Oh, Indian knitting I have not seen that since my grandma passed".... so then we chatted until my stop.

I have been very naughty and not doing this stuff... Arguing that typing is fine motor skills does not work either ... So back on the drawing and painting bent...

Beth and I were very good friends on QSMB. She was a wonderful person with a big heart, and little tolerance for people who could not embrace the idea that quitting smoking, meant QUITTING SMOKING. She posted with common sense, and reacted to other people´s posts with common sense. The friendship started slowly, when my quit was about 6 months old, and then grew very quickly after her first heart attack. This foto was taken in the hospital after her first heart attack. She did not survive the second heart attack. Both heart attacks - and her death - were caused by smoking. Cristóbal

Yes... but hate credit control.... and hate all the other stuff... don't mind a bank rec... that's a bit of fun...

Confession: I really do own a Garden Gnome in Saints Gear, his name is Robert Harvey, he currently lives in the storeage unit guarding my entire house full of furniture... but he used to sit next to the front door and when I would get home I would ask "Hey Harves, have a good day? Ant Goss?"... or if I'd bee shopping "Hey Harves, wanna give us a hand with the shoppin?"....when I would leave I would say "Seeya Harves, Av a good one.".... and do you know in over a decade not once did he reply or help bring in the shopping.... but he loyally stood by my door.. Robert Harvey - St Kilda and AFL hall of famer who one 2 brownlow medals, back to back... that's like the competition MVP ... the best and fairest, so do one naughty thing and even if you get the most votes no Charlie for you... A Charlie is the actual medal... the Chas Brownlow Medal aka the Brownlow .... I love watching the count to see who will take Charlie home each year. Confession: I have a weird obsession with numbers. Numbers are fricking awesome. Maths is fun. Maths is really, really fun. I hate accounts but love, love, love account reconciliations.... finding those missing dollars cos someone (never me cos my shit don't stink) has stuffed up... I'll hunt that sucker down, enjoy every minute of it and love the whole experience.

Once a person has reached their first year anniversary, they have experienced most of their triggers. That is why the first year anniversary is so important - this amount of time covers most situations in which the triggers can occur. The longer you stay quit, the more time you have to experience these triggers, and just say no to them. Eventually, almost all of them will disappear forever. When you do experience a trigger, always keep this in mind: "A TRIGGER (or any CRAVE) IS NEVER A COMMAND". Recognize a trigger for what it is - the weak ghost of a sleeping drug addiction - and just ignore it. It will disappear, and then probably never return again, and that means you just gained some more freedom. Cristóbal

Congratulations Cristobal for being somke free for 6 years. Thank you for all the wonderful advice and observations you have left for us newbies coming behind you and leading our way with such class. Hope you did something special to celebrate your anniversary.

I still can't believe how long I smoked: 35 years as best as I can reckon since I had some unsuccessful but long quits. Started smoking at age 14.5 and quit at age 52, so 52-14.5=37.5 ... I've been quit for 984 days which is 2.7 years, rounded. So 2.7/35 is about 8%. Yeah. It seems like an eternity... I can't believe I let that addiction rule most of my adult life.