Reciprocity

OK so, that makes everything OK then. Lining his pockets with cash while he provides a product that seduces a new generation into nicotine addiction. Oops .... sorry about that folks! Well done Kev!

Nope! Don't miss the cough!!

Was a perfect summer day here, 27C (80ish F) & bright sun. No humidity so very comfortable. We get so few of these really nice days so I try to stay outside as much as possible Glad your Pool Party was a hit Roz

If you have cigarettes around you, it makes it way too tempting to go smoke one and yes, all of the negative things you mentioned will happen should you light up again. Get rid of any smokes you have access to and old ash trays etc. As Nancy said, every time you light another one up .... you renew your addiction; every time! The only way to break that cycle is to quit and stay quit. Sure there's some uncomfortable days in the beginning but the longer you stay quit, the easier it gets. In terms of your question about the worst being over? It's different for all. The first week pretty much just sucks big time. Then, each week gets gradually better. You start seeing good days but still have down days too so, it's not like flipping a switch. It's a process The .improvement is very gradual. The key is your mind set. Stay positive! You are doing the best possible thing for yourself. You need to celebrate that. Embrace the suck of the early days because they will soon be gone and that discomfort represents the fact that you are healing - body & mind!

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That's also what takes the longest to change ..... our habitual responses to any number of situations that crop up in our daily lives - including emotions. Happy, sad, bored, lonely, excited they all create an automatic response and that is to light up. That's what the 1 Year Pledge is for. It's located on the Quit Smoking Discussion Page - pinned near the top of that page. It's an important reminder that it takes most of us a full year to completely recover - face and beat all our smoking triggers at least once (seasonal triggers included). That's why the 1 Year Lido Deck celebration is such a big deal. Once you get to that 1 year mark, you have truly arrived! Sure you may still have thoughts about smoking but you have proven to yourself that you CAN beat your addiction at it's own deadly game. Yes this is an insidious addiction but there are also habitual responses involved because most of us have smoked for decades. Same response to triggers over dozens of years. All those need to be addressed when we quit. It can be overwhelming at times but it IS doable. That's why support here is important cuz we DO get it! You're not alone. You're one of us

Did someone say ..... Pool Party?

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This is a big one Solo! 6 Months or a half year quit today. You are officially 1/2 way to the Lido Deck with your quit! I hope you're enjoying the many benefits you have received since quitting. A special reward is in order for this special occasion!

4 full years smoke free is fantastic onthemark! Hope you are doing well and planning to celebrate the occasion

Congrats Koder3 on 4 years of freedom from slavery to nicotine addiction. We're jumping for joy!!

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You know, I have heard that song a lot of times over the years but never once knew the name of it. The wife keeps telling me; "You're not paying attention!" As usual, she's right.

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1

Nope!

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Wow Saz! Big system dumping a lot of rain over a large area it appears. Stay safe and as dry as possible!

Yes .... how's it going today? Hoping it's an up day today for you.. try to get outside and breath in that lovely fresh air. It's good for your lungs!

I was going thorough some stuff I gathered together at my mother's house when I was there last month. She was tossing stuff out and I wanted to make sure there were no personal documents that should be shredded. Here's an interesting item. A Young Ladies Journal from September 1887. That's over 130 years ago! It's in pretty rough shape because the paper is starting to disintegrate. My mother says her mother gave it to her when she was just a kid. Somehow she kept it around until now It's got some fashion of the day pages for ladies and kids. And of course some advertising pages to pay for the publication costs: Hey! When was the last time you ladies went bustle shopping? Tell the kid you're taking her bustle shopping @notsmokinjo . That'll be an "Ah Mom!" moment - lol. Really shows just how much the world has changed in such a relatively short period of time. The invention of the telephone was only 11 years before this publication date! I guess there was no "on-line" shopping?

Congrats on reaching another milestone in your quit Lilly. 4 Months is substantial! Hopefully you can find a way to stop by and let us know how you celebrated

"Everyone must find what works for them." Absolutely correct! We all face the same challenges but we surpass those challenges using different methods. The method that is right for us.

Many roads lead to Rome. The important bit is that you get there

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Congratulations on 7 full years smoke free @babs609! This place is a saviour to many, Thanks for being part of it