KEL

I so look forward to @Cbdavebeautiful pictures every day and taking the pledge. I treat the smoking cessation the same as my recovery from alcohol which I do think about every day (21 years later). But the difference is that I am so f--king GRATEFUL I no longer have to drink. And its the same with smoking. Not to say there isn't still hourly work to be done. But I shift pretty darn quickly into gratitude. Appreciate all of you.

@Christian99Originally from Cali and moved to Colorado 7 years ago. Not as progressive certainly but they also don't have the population. I did teach (business law) at the Department of Corrections and there is no smoking on the "campus(es)." I found that pretty interesting, i.e. go to prison and quit smoking. One way to do it! I am super open about my sobriety but not about my quit. Not yet anyway. I remember someone just like you who was really open about recovery. I overheard him talk about his AA meeting in court one day. I never forgot what he said and it did light the spark that took two years later. Ironically, he was in my courtroom when I was a judge five years later and I was able to thank him for being so open. You (we) may not realize it, but our recovery does help others. Thanks for your post.

NOPE!

@Christian99Wow and congratulations. Thank you for lighting the way for the rest of us...

Not to be a ding-dong but its so odd to think that Christmas is in the middle of the summer for you aussies! Thank you @Cbdave for the recipe. It looks gluten free as well so I may just whip that up. We hope to be enjoying a white christmas here in the Rockies/Sangres. Sadly things are desperately parched.

I visited AU (Sydney) in 2007 and fell in love. I planned to relocate (from US West Coast) in 2008 but the market crashed and....hope to get back there some day but thank you for sharing your joy and helping us all to stay quit.

@Katgirl Congrats! And keeping active is so important, especially with something that floats our creative boat. I am a crazy knitter which is a pretty-solo activity. I appreciate everyone here for giving some time for community and words of wisdom. Hoping everyone has a beautiful weekend.

@CbdaveWhat a gorgeous picture! NOPE.

@GusOh I like that! So we could "crave" things that are good for us like broccoli and spinach?

Time. Practice. Patience.

Thanks for being an inspiration. I am right behind you!

NOPE-a little ahead of myself as we are still on Thursday but still NOPE.

That's the spirit! Take it one moment at a time. I am pulling for you.

NOPE!

@Sunshine59Truer words. Thank you! PS: Your english is great.

@AceWhiteThank you! It is feeling really good. I'm surprised and immensely grateful. I think not using NRT has helped....

I think the biggest thing is exercise. Its where we get to see the immediate benefits from quitting. Hope everyone is having a great day. I just liked my own post. How egotistical is that?🤣

@Leenyc3Hi! Welcome. Alan's book really helped me. I made flashcards so I would have something to remind me of why I wanted to remain a non-smoker at the ready. I review them daily and, at the beginning of my quit when I was in withdrawal, on the half hour. If you are able to go "days" without smoking, that is amazing because I couldn't. The key is to address what you believe the cigarette is doing for you and look at that honestly. We all viewed smokes as a "friend," but they were never that. Since we imbued cigarettes with all sorts of qualities they never had, we can undo that belief as well. Wishing you strength. Stick around here-it really helps. Read everything and post often.

@darcyHang in. It does get easier. There are a ton of people here that remind us of that when it gets rough and they have all been through it. Godspeed to you today.

NOPE!

That has got to feel really good. Thank you for sticking around and showing us how its done.

@KrisIts a perfect time of the year to consider our co-dependency. Particularly as women, there is a tendency (and a necessity with small children) to manage others' lives, their choices, their responsibilities. I know that I am not only an addict but a co-dependent. In the rooms they call this a "double-winner." I too "helped" because I was asked, because I could, because there was no one else to do it and it needed to be done. But, upon reflection, it also served as a way for me to feel "better than" others. When they didn't appreciate me, I got to play victim/martyr. Truth is, we are all responsible for our own experience. In our choice to show up for the others, it must be with the firm understanding that they do not "owe" us anything. We do it because it makes us feel good and that is reward in and of itself. When our doing "good" for others causes us to neglect our well-being, its another addiction. Smoking is no different from any other drug addiction. As addicts, we tend to attract relationships that are dysfunctional because we are. Now that does not mean we are unloveable or failures. Its means we are human. So let's not beat ourselves up too much ok? And one thing at a time. Thanks for the candor. And, BTW, it did matter. You matter.

My dad's name was Jack. Just jack. I always assumed they forgot to add the "ass" to his birth certificate.

Wow! Who knew?

Thanks @Cbdave! Im gonna get my NOPE in 12 hours early!