Daily, Check out www.stopsmoking.net. It is our sister site and has a free program to help get you started and push you through those tough times :) Josie, Support Specialist

You [b]CAN[/b] stop smoking! I don't know what your income is, but disability does provide $$ for stop smoking aids like the patch, etc. Of course the stop smoking stuff is still cheaper than the ciggies. I've quit a dozen times, 18 months once, so I know it can be done. Staying quit is a tad harder, but I bet you can do that too. :) Hearing your determination is my happy thought for the day. I want to quit as well, so I'll be able to follow your footsteps if you survive it. ;)

I can stop smoking, I can stop smoking.... I am willing to pay for Champix out of my measly pension for 12 weeks but I'm stalling about going to the pharmacy to pick it up - I keep waiting for yet another snow storm to excuse myself... lot of negative/avoidance stuff going on here.... I'm ashamed of myself for killing myself slowly with cigs. But I will climb this mountain just one step at a time.. One step because I have such breathlessness... what an idiot I am....words of encouragement welcome here....

G'morning all! [IMG]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/JR_Sandy/forum%20stuff/Good_Morning.gif[/IMG] It's Sunday, I have very few errands to run today, and I am determined to do some work on my sessions. My happy thought for today is I truly believe life is what you make it and I'm feeling determined to make mine as good as I can. It's been a while since I've felt that kind of motivation. Makes for a happy morning!

Today I spent some time reading posts here and it led me to my positive thought for today ... people who work hard at feeling better. Hearing the sad stories, hearing the problems, hearing the misery ... it all helps me identify with the people at this board. It makes me realize I'm not alone. Hearing that people are moving ahead despite these issues is amazingly uplifting for me. To see folks who continue on in the face of adversity, who hold onto hope despite the difficulty in doing so, who refuse to be conquered by their depression all inspire me. Just by going on with life, the people here provide a positive place for me to come. So here's to all the folks who share here and who keep on keepin' on no matter how tough it gets. Thanks!!

Sandy, Way to be good to yourself! Although you cannot post your e-mail in the forums, you can use the DC messenger to pass this type of information along. Danielle, Bilingual Health Educator

Today's happy thought is self indulgence. :) There is a full basket of laundry, all kinds of housework to do, a dog needing a walk ... and I'm going to crawl back into bed with my laptop and read a wonderful stash of eBooks I found. (If anyone wants to know where to find them, contact me ... can I put my email addy here?) It's the last day of 2007, a tough year. I'm setting everything aside and not worrying about a single thing until next year. Love the sound of that! I'll finish this year off with a stress free day and hope that sets the tone for all of next year. I hope everyone here has a great New Year's Eve!

Ho Ho Holy Sh*t it's finally over! Yep, we survived the Christmas Crazy. Miserable year for us, both too unwell to even put up a tree, but on the bright side we don't have to take the rotten thing down. I always hate that part and this year I shall be spared. :) My positive thought for today came from watching a TV commercial, of all places. It was for some new med for Rheumatoid Arthritis and the gist of the commercial is that I can't be who I used to be but I sure can be something else. Having a disability really does rob life of a lot of pleasures I always took forgranted. I've spent literally years trying to refit myself into this new limited body and have run up against the wall of depression time and time again. Last night the light bulb went off over my head ... If I can't be who I was (social butterfly, Harley rider, skydiver ... etc.), who do I want to be in this new set of circumstances? I can re-define myself. Instead of being like a river fighting against a dam, I can be like a creek flowing around rocks and obstacles. I'm no longer that person who goes after life like I'm running out of time, no longer the adrenaline junkie. Yah, I miss it a lot some days, but it's time for me to grow into my new existance. A new, softer, more adaptable Sandy. I love that I'm always up for a challenge. My challenges used to be physical, but these days they come in the form of mental challenges. Believe me, fighting fatigue and depression every day is much, much more difficult than skydiving! And not nearly so much fun. :) My challenge for 2008 is to adapt. To redefine. To clear out those things and people that no longer fit my world. To become a new version of me. To stop fighting so hard and to start focussing on what I'm grateful for. Anyone else have a vision for the upcoming year? Shell and I always choose a word that we live by. For 2006 it was tranquility. We measured everything that came along by that yardstick. If it didn't promote tranquility, we didn't do it. 2007 was health. Not so successful with that one, but still helped us be more aware of what we could do to feel better. 2008 is redefine ourselves. Be the most we can be with the limitations we are given. Everyone has limitations and the goal this year is to work with ours instead of fighting them.

:8o: oh my god, :8o: how did you get this pic of ME!?!

Great support everyone! Positive thoughts help challenge those negative ones :) Josie