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Showing results for tags 'celebration'.
Found 9 results
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You just zipped through 1/4 of a year!!! Nicely done R!!!!! :D Wishing you a very happy THREE MONTHS smoke free!! WHOOHOOO! You've shown true strength, and courage and been an enormous inspiration to us all. This quit looks good on you! :D I'm so proud of you! Celebrate! Plan an awesome reward and take a moment to reflect on how far you've come. :) Also, I believe your 3-month anniversary is when we retire you from the game if you're a stick, right chicks? :P
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- threemonths
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2 Years – 24 Months – 730 Days – 17,520 Hours – 1,051,200 Minutes – 63,072,000 Seconds. On the day I quit, I expected to spend every single minute craving a cigarette. Thirty years I was a smoker. The first thing that I did each morning. Without fail. The last thing that I did each night. Without fail. After breakfast, lunch and dinner. Without fail. Have a coffee? Have a smoke. Without fail. Another beer? Another smoke. Without fail. Did I crave? Yes. and No. My Addiction wanted nicotine. My Will wanted to quit. During the first few months, and occasionally ever since, these two sparring partners have had conversations. Sometimes, out loud. (Usually scaring innocent bystanders!) Will always wins. Why? Obviously, I am supremely powerful, with a will of iron. My strength has conquered all. I wish. <_< NOPE. That is why Will always won. “Not One Puff Ever, (just for today).” The section in brackets is rarely written. However, the reason that folk pledge every day, is because when you quit something, you don’t quit forever. Quitting forever is scary. Quitting forever makes you look at that last cigarette with longing, with love and with grief. “Forever” makes you want to put off the parting, to leave quitting for another day, “when the time is right, when I’m not so stressed”. No, when I quit, I quit for the day. “Listen Addiction. Today, we are Quit. Stop whining and whingeing, we are not smoking today. We can talk about it again tomorrow.” Will would say that each morning as I had my morning coffee, which was tasting better and better each day. Next morning, we would have the same chat. Sometimes, Will even said “Oh Addiction, I’m sorry. I forgot we were going to talk. I have only gone onto quittrain.com and pledged Not One Puff Ever again. Let’s talk again tomorrow.” Now, I have these conversations less and less. After 30 years hard, hard work, Addiction is taking a well earned break. He is sleeping for Britain. Now and again, he raises his drowsy head and mutters “Is it time yet?” and Will whispers “Not today. Let’s talk tomorrow.” Addiction goes back to sleep, for weeks, months at a time. To be honest, I forget to pledge most days, but occasionally, in honour of my old workhorse, Addiction, I pass by the Quittrain, pledge, maybe say Hi to a few old friends and one or two new ones. Give or take, I have avoided 22,000 Cigarettes that would have cost me £8,750 or $12,500. I am fitter and healthier. I smell a lot better. The world smells and tastes a lot better too. A huge surprise to me was how different the world looks. Colours are actually brighter (nicotine does actually make the world duller apparently) and colours seem brighter too. They seem brighter because I look at the world through the eyes of someone who saw Addiction for what it was, educated himself and gently put it to sleep. Not on its timetable, but on mine. I have not become supremely powerful, nor do I have that will of iron, but quitting has made me powerful, it has made me understand my Will a little better. Thirty years smoking is not free. The bill is coming. I have damaged myself. What the bill will be? Who knows? When it comes. It will be paid. None of us are getting out of life alive folks. What I do know is that quitting smoking is the best thing that I have ever done. Apart from all of the obvious benefits, it has given me back my sense of worth, my sense of being in control. Thinking of quitting? Tell you what. Just quit for today. You might just save your own life.
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- 2 years
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Way to go Mrs Sarge!
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Marti - The Aylesbury Tornado has made it to 11 months. There has been violence, laughter, tears and quite frankly some scary stuff in the swearing thread...but she has made it to 11 months and will soon be up here on the Lido deck. Quit Buddy. You are quite simply the best.
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Well, here we are. Not a finishing line, more of a staging post. Tomorrow will be January 28. One year and a day since I quit smoking. for the first time in three decades, I will pass two 'January 28s' without smoking a cigarette. I have a feeling that I will find it much easier to not smoke on this January 28th than I did on the last one. January 28 2014, I awoke in a hotel room on the Riviera Maya committed to not smoking again. Like many planning a quit, I had "power smoked" on the last day. I finished the evening chain smoking on the terrace outside my room, determined to finish the pack, either by smoking them or destroying them. Naturally - I finished them. Taking total for the day to a round 50. I also finished reading Allen Carr's 'The EasyWay to Stop Smoking'. The plan had been to finish the book, and the last of my cigarettes at the end of the holiday (or vacation for my American friends). I would smoke my last cigarette outside the airport at Cancun - the forced abstinence of travel giving me a running start. I had read the book before, and even managed a 9 month practice quit. As I read the closing chapters, I felt an increasing confidence that this time I could quit for good. I brought the day forward to three days before the flight. The confidence quite literally went up in smoke that final night. I drew deep on every cigarette, feeling the hit of the smoke on my throat, the metallic taste in my mouth. Did I really want to quit? Was this the right time? Surely it was better to stick to the plan? Maybe just another pack? It would me mean on my lovely wife to ruin the last few days of our trip away... Finally - I decided to quit. Just for a bit. I could always decide tomorrow to use one of the excuses above - but why not follow the advice in the book, stop and be happy that I have stopped. Still smiling. It was a few weeks until I came across Quit Forums. One stormy night, I responded to a comment from an English poster about the expected winds...so I met a guy called Action. Over the coming days I came across threads that seemed to cover exactly the way that I was feeling. People took the time to give me advice, to direct me to resources that might help me in my battle. I started chipping in where I could. I began to learn a little about more and more people and began to understand the dangers of communication on the Internet. I came across some amazing people sharing freely of their experience in quitting smoking. Many of those amazing people are posting here every day. But one or two are not. So - Cristobal - it was destined that Mexico would be central in my quit. Thank you amigo. Anna - I will drop you an email anyway - and I hope some of our mutual friends will name check you for me elsewhere. Markus. The vigilant quit is surviving - and remains vigilant. The Invisible Man. RIP sir. Paul, TAC, KSMedic, I miss you. You lot. From every corner, of every age, of every interest - I have been fortunate to have been held up by the strength and support of wonderful people, many of whom I may never meet. Bakon - (he never gets past 4 lines, so someone will need to tell him) You are superbly nuts. My little gang was probably Joolz and the Comrade - both safely over the line and the Lady Bug - who I believe is still quit. Emma (Amberdawn) dropped by the other day, a healthy new Mom. The Sarge. I took a while to get it. But. Got it. The Lace Quit Team (or was it the Rez and Tracey date Team?). You guys know who you are - and you are all awesome. Even the upsidedown one. I feel sad for the few that I remember that have fallen by the wayside - I hope with all my heart that they can be persuaded to come back. Jackie, Amy, Rachael (maybe) Juan Martin, Sooz to name just a few. MQ. Thank you. For the site - and for the team. Redser, Babs, DD, Ava, Jen. Unbeatable. Old timers, Old Phartes, Engine Drivers - I'm with you on the Lido deck now. I'll squeeze in between Frez, Fay, Nancy, Doreen, Petra and Leanna talking to Joe and Jengels about birth control. Jimmy, Wiley, Chrispy and I are discussing whether Bakon can ever be saved. Beacon and I are chatting about catching money launderers. Is Justsomeguy one do you think? And all these dodgy Antipodeans? What about that Northerner down in Essex? Suebedoo. Fancy a pint? Scott, let's go through that weight loss plan again. Armed...Aruba eh? Beacon and I will need to talk about that too. Those who are following us old folk along. I remember looking at people who seemed SO far ahead...I had a couple of weeks, they had 3 MONTHS...they seemed to have cracked it. They seemed so far ahead. Now, they are next to me on the Lido deck. To some, it might seem that we oldies have it all sorted out. We don't. We read and post because we know that posting helps firm up out own quits as well as help with another's. Shouting along for Jess, Chrysalis, Kristin, Sexy Sarah, DF, Humbled, Sandar, Iam, Jeffrey, Sonic, Wendy, Mason, Laura, Lots of Jens, Rob, Brenndy, RF, Oneistoo helped me remember what is important. For determination, Evelyn, you are an inspiration to me every day. Quit buddies. I have two of the best. Karen the Mastergardener writes honestly and gently. She grits her teeth and holds on tight. Marti has carried me through many a wobble (unknowingly half the time), has made me smile, laugh, cry and apply a bit of perspective. God bless both of you. I have name checked a few of you. There are many more whose names I have not mentioned. Thanks to all of you and all of them. The strength of this place comes from its breadth. Every post, whether a long rambling one like this, or a digit in the counting game is important. It helps. Smoking is a horrible addiction. We are addicted because we fell for a deliberate confidence trick played upon us for profit. The scandal is that the trick continues to be played. Quitting is doable. If I can do it, anyone can. Personally, I believe that understanding the nature of the addiction is the key. I take my hat off to anyone that quits without understanding that smoking is a con. We never liked it. I am not abstaining from a fun activity because it is bad for me: I quit doing something that tasted horrible, looked horrible and purposely addicted me. I freed myself. Quitting methods? Me, I went cold turkey. That was the way for me. Make a commitment and stick to it. But It doesn't matter. Vaping, NRT, Champix, hypnosis....all perfectly valid. The Quit is personal. It doesn't matter how you quit. As long as you quit. Newbies, Lurkers, Ponderers: For your family, for your friends, for yourself, Quit. If I can help at all, I'll do my best. I have to name check the most important quitter of them all. La Bandita. As I entered Day 5, she said "Oh. He is serious. I had better quit too". She has put up with me every day and just quietly got on with it. Love you Amore. So Quit Train. Today, I will raise a glass to every single one of you, and thank you all for being here. Big Brackets all round... Then tomorrow, I'll go back to normal length posts. ;-) Cheers
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Well, knock me down with a feather! The Aylesbury Tornado has only made it three quarters of a year. No, really. I know her girls, her fella and deep down (very deep) even Old Cranky are bursting with pride. Super-Mum, Full Time Carer and soon to be Reiki Master - Marti writes incredible supportive posts and tries to help every one of us on this board. She also writes some of the scariest rants...she and DD would, in time of war, be our secret weapon! Way to go Marti - you are an absolute star.
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Hang on to your hats, the Aylesbury tornado has 7 months smoke free! Fantastic work Marti. Inspirational, funny, kind and caring! Oh and a bit of a nutter. You rock!
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Somehow or other - April 27th brought 4 threads celebrating my three months and my birthday. Thank you all very much :wub: Best present of the year was my title. Yes - I am now officially a Laird. That is to say a Scottish Land owner. I believe that I now own a whole square foot of Argyll. The Aristocracy at last! In return - the owner of the rest of the estate gets to ask me for money for refurbishment, conservation, restocking the wine cellar and indeed anything else that he needs. I, of course have the right to politely refuse. :angry: I have given this much thought, and have decided that you need not address me by title, or bow, or curtsey...(well not too often anyway :rolleyes: ) I have been around a little less over the last few days. This is for a variety of reasons. 1. I have been doing some reading - and looking at my personal productivity - I need to manage my time carefully. 2. The sun has been out and the golf course open ;) 3. La Bandita said something that shook me the other day; "Smoking? Never think about it unless YOU mention it" I think about smoking EVERY DAY. La Bandita quit a few days after me - and was therefore quit 3 months on May 1. While I was spending lots of time on places like here, La B was simply moving on. For all of the above - I am rationing my time here a little more. I will still be around every day - and will chip in from time to time - but if you don't hear from me - don't worry, I'm just off enjoying the new energy gifted to me by quitting smoking. B)
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BonnieJ has 13 months! What a fantastic first celebration! Congratulations!
