Sirius

There are countless justifications for failure whereas victory needs no excuse.

You cannot 99% quit. Intellectually this is easy to understand. Emotionally...its very difficult to come to grips with. The commitment needs to be total. No breaks on the weekends. No time off for good behavior. You must be in it to win it. Total immersion. 24 X 7

Keep grinding AK47. There will come a day when you forget to count a day.

AK, Keep up the good fight. It takes time and there is no substitute for time. You can try and ignore it, or endure it, or even embrace it. You can just about anything but run away from it. Because the cravings are a part of you. The slow march of time as you carry abstinence with you will be the shades of change you hope for. Abstinence is a heavy burden in the beginning. One day it will be wind beneath your wings. The pain is transitory. The freedom is for the rest of your life.

A Happy Birthday to the QTrain! I tip my hat to Doreensfree for making something beautiful and for all the mods and members who contribute to breaking the chains of addiction. Well done.

I've got a metric ton of coffee and all the telework I can handle.

OMG I thought that tree was Godzila! Gotta clean my glasses more. On another note, Good Show Sunshine. Every day make the quit (and you) that much stronger.

Early on in my quit I found all sorts of associations with smoking that would trigger cravings. Every time I did NOT smoke I would be reinforcing proper behavior and the cravings would diminish. Even after some years of not smoking I can uncover an association that will have me thinking about a cigarette. Last time this happened I had finished climbing up a rather large hill. As I surveyed the natural vista of wonderment I couldn't help but think that a smoke break would be nice. Keep in mind I don't hike up mountainsides on a daily basis but when I did I always had a smoke. ...and that is how, even after a few YEARS into quitting, I can think about a smoke. Anyhow, I had a hip flask of brandy so instead of lighting up, I guzzled down. These triggers are like mental landmines of cravings we associated an activity with smoking. Every time we perform the activity without smoking we lessen the association.

Stay busy tony950. Don't give yourself time to dwell on it. Go for a walk or work the punching bag.

I wish Mr. Limbaugh good fortune though I regret this will, most likely, only be a wish. The casualty statistics of smoking are as pitiless as they are remorseless. Of some, small consolation being he has the courage to share his misfortune. His example may yet prove the inspiration for others to quit.

Not sure if I was in No man's land but I did experience "The Grind" for a few weeks. This too shall pass....

Tylers1027, Thanks for posting about this. I had similar issues and eventually had a chest x-ray to confirm everything was on the up and up. Your symptoms are probably just part of the healing process but if its worth your peace of mind, complain to your doctor and request they take a peek inside.

The higher the price the sweeter the prize. When the price is paid in agony & doubt the payoff becomes a treasure. You do not quit. You change...habits, perspectives, values. "Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as being stuck somewhere you don't belong." - Mandy Hale "Change is never painful. Only the resistance to change is painful" - Siddhartha Gautama <== I like this quote but I've not evolved far enough to walk that way.

Two commentators nailed it. Adam Watkins3 years ago Two men who get turned into monsters by war and keep fighting until there is no humanity left in them. Dang that's sad but this song was really awesome! EnochTheSpaceman1 year ago This song is amazing! And I love this video so much. The British pilot is fighting for his love, the German is fighting for his faith, both are trapped in this war that isn't theirs. They realize they can't make it home and there is no victory to be had. Love is lost and faith is broken. All that is left is sadness that turns to hatred. It's such a sad and powerful message.

While we enjoyed smoking, smoking enjoyed us...

"Now my empty cup is as sweet as the punch."

As usual, I'm late to the party. Well done Sazerac!

292,000 miles (470,000 Km) and I think my poor Honda Fit '07 is going to be "totaled" by the insurer.

Got rear ended in traffic today. Quite an impact. Got checked out at the local hospital and stepped outside to take a bit of fresh air and appreciate my continued existence. Smokers were outside smoking and it would have been no effort to ask for one. Just to calm the nerves that were all a jingle. I talked myself out of it. Celebrating my fortune by poisoning myself seemed like spitting in lady luck's eye. So yeah, we still get close calls and fender bender after we quit smoking. Such are the vagaries of chance that are outside my control. What's not chance is the decision not to smoke. This is something I can control. *NOPE*

Well done Juan! Success reinforces success.

56 years old and still ahead of i'ts time.

You went through a bunch of suckers but you weren't the sucker! Good job staying true. Intellectually I'm sure you understand that smoking isn't a reward anymore then tapping your head with a hammer. It will take some time for your emotional and physical expectations to catch up with your conscious decision to forego poison as pleasure. Stay the course.

A good cult classic.

Well done Martian. Remember, your crave is like a beast, and all beasts need to be on a leash. The next time your crave starts crying you give that leash a firm tug, and tell the beast to "HEEL!"

Glad to hear your doing well. Freedom feels nice, eh?