I have been doing a lot of soul-searching since my
slip today. Admittedly, it's like I never quit - I just keep smoking.
Terrible, I know. I hope that no one has to go through this like
myself; it's just not worth it. I can't even begin to tell you just
how much better I felt when I wasn't smoking, even if it had only been
six days!
It's amazing the benefits I discovered
in such a short period of time. My sense of smell is so much improved
already that I can smell the smoke on me! Not good at all. So anyway,
I wanted to share my "Nine Reasons for Quitting Smoking" and to also
state that I have set my new quit date for 09/09/09. There's just
something magical about that number!
That's 12 days from now, not counting today. I don't want to set it too far into the future and risk losing my confidence, but I felt this was a good day because it gives me time to properly prepare and to begin taking Chantix again so it can build up in my system. I actually stopped smoking on the 8th day like it says to, so I may wait 2-4 days before I start taking it.
My Nine Reasons for Wanting to Be Smoke-Free
I smell so much better! I don't have to be self-conscious around other people. I can go to public places, business meetings, and just be out-and-about without worrying about how I smell, because I know that I smell great compared to how I smell when I've been smoking!
I can breathe so much better! I honestly never realized that I had a difficult time breathing until I quit. But after only two days, I noticed I had a lot more stamina and it has allowed me to enjoy the outdoors just that much more. I can't ask for a better reward than that!
I can smell better! After only four days, the forest came alive with the smells of flowers. It had such an intoxicating effect on my senses. It prompted me to want to build a garden on my balcony with trees and flowers of all kinds with the money I save from not smoking.
I take better care of my health! When I'm not smoking, I take so much better care of my health and hygiene. I shower more often. I brush my teeth more often. I go hiking more often! I take pride in my appearance. Rather than poisoning myself, I feel like treating my body with great care.
I write more often! For too many years now, my journals have been collecting dust and I've already been writing in them once every month or so. This happens because I've become complacent about my life and that is never a good thing. I write so much more often when I'm not smoking.
I have more self-confidence! I can leave the house without needing a crutch to carry around with me. I even feel more comfortable around people, even strangers. I can't explain why, but the simple act of not smoking breathes new confidence into my step.
I save money! I save $200 a month by not smoking. If I smoke, then I go to Starbucks, and that alone costs me $100 a month; smoking also costs me $100 a month. If I don't smoke, I go hiking instead. There's so many positive things I could do with the money I save!
I feel ten years younger! I really do. Just one cigarette is all it takes to make me feel miserable, but if I'm not smoking, I feel so much better. Life itself feels better; easier, even childlike at times. I can be in the woods and feel like I've never been there before, with the same wonderment I felt in my youth.
I'm free! Most importantly, I am no longer living life in the passenger seat. I control the choices in my life. I'm no longer controlled by addiction. I choose to live a healthy life, a structured life, one that is free of the debilitating effects of smoking. I have the power to choose my own path in life!
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 9/9/2009 Smoke-Free Days: -11 Cigarettes Not Smoked: -242 Amount Saved: $-35.91 Life Gained: Days: 0 Hrs: 0 Mins: 0 Seconds: -108871
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