Sunflower, don't leave me behind! :) :)

Bump for Phil - who I know will not let his guard down ! :)

N2K - boy have we have missed you! I hope everyting is fantastic in your world. Someone was askN for you on another thread the other day. :) CobenFan [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 200 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,407 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $700 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 18 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 7 [B]Seconds:[/B] 53

Thanks guys.... Josie, to answer your question, the reasons I have to stay quit are that I don't want to go back to square one. I don't want to let myself down and go back to "wishing" I was a non-smoker. I like the way I live now, my world does not revolve around smoking. I have read the stories of many people and learned how terrible it is for them to have to re-start their quits due to slips. I see people dying of every cancer there is. The way I see it, I have to learn from the mistakes of others, cuz I won't live long enough to make them all myself. Everyday is a good day to quit smoking........... [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 197 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,364 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $689.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 18 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 30 [B]Seconds:[/B] 29

What would it take for you to blow your quit ?? There's always a lot of reasons that people give. Every one of us is different. We built our quits based on different reasons. We stay with our quits (or don't) for different reasons. Preparaton in the beginning of your quit is truly important, getting together your toolbox of coping mechanisms and knowledge from others to survive your first few weeks and waves of wanting to smoke. However, it's important also to prepare for the times further down the road, that when you least expect it, something will make you want to smoke and you have to dig back in that toolbox for help. You may even have to phone a friend..... All of us feel we have valid reasons for all of our actions. There is no excuse for going back to smoking. We have made other "wrong" decisions in our life. Live and learn, right? Decisions people. Make the right ones, like NOT smoking. THINK about the ramifications of everything you do with regard to your quit. If something may put that in jeopardy, then proceed with extreme caution. Protect you quit with all you've got. I know that I cannot tolerate being in a pub filled with smoke anymore, it makes me sick for more reasons that one. Instead of fighting this, I make the choice not to go. I invite my friends over to my home. It's a place I don't have to fight the smoke and worry about 2nd hand. I have given much thought to what it would take for me to lose my quit. I know not to be smug and take this quit for granted, so I have considered situations that may crush me - what would I do? How can I handle it? I have so much conviction built into my quit, I just want to make sure I am prepared for anything! I think about protecting my quit DAILY. I see how sad people are when they start again. If and when something should happen, I have the FIGHT in me , and I know this: I have best friends to call and lean on & post to... I have exercise equipment to beat up on... I can come here and post for help! My husband will listen (he falls into the best friend category) I have my dog - who loves me no matter what I remember my grandparents smoking and how they looked just prior to death. Extremely sobering experience. I can "send it upstairs" for review... S

Hey Christine I am searching "cobenism's" for a certain post you had that I wanted to share with someone and I found this one. As all cobenism's go........ I LOVE IT! THANKS! ;p Hey ya got email me these posts when I am outta town. I hate missing good stuff like this! :p Now to find the one I was really lookin for. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/30/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 261 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,926 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $783 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 28 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 47

Hi Coben- Thank you for this post. It gets all too easy to 'forget' our quit until something jeapordizes it. I have been fighting off thoughts for a while now. Wishing to go back to 'normal'. Being able to hang out in the garage with my husband and neighbors and friends ~ all having a drink and smoking and laughing. It has been a long time for me since I even felt like having a drink, and I must say, I'm starting to miss it. However, just as you stated, that might make me want to smoke. I am not as confident as I once was. And this soul searching stuff really hits me hard. I am tired, and just want to 'enjoy' something. That is what I must search for. Something. I now know that I must always be on guard. At first, being around smokers was simple. But now, I face lots of thoughts. I must always protect my quit. And walking away from smokers is how I have managed so far. That, and just staying inside!! Again, thank you for this post. A quit needs to be reminded and reinforced with our commitment to ourselves. ;) 4my2girls [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/5/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 216 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,500 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $706.32 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 17 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 28 [B]Seconds:[/B] 21

Amazing focus, CobenFan ... as always, a great post. Healer [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/5/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 216 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,594 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1004.4 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 28 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 16 [B]Seconds:[/B] 9

well said, as always - in the words of JohnW, you've got this tiger by the tail. keep fightin' the good fight - fish :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/21/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 290 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,714 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1450 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 37 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 27 [B]Seconds:[/B] 33

An absolute honest inspiration Thanks. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/5/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 3 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 73 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $15 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 21 [B]Seconds:[/B] 55