When we quit smoking, we give ourselves a new start - a chance to start over clean and new. A couple years ago, I adopted a "no regret policy" for life. I vowed that when I was ready to leave this earth, that I would look back on my life and not have any regrets about the way I lived it. But in order to do that, I knew that I would have to do certain things now so that I did not regret them later. It's easy to say now that I won't regret anything later, but the only way to ensure that I really won't regret anything later is to change certain things right now. So, that's when I quit smoking.
Tonight, I sat next to my Grandmother, who was sitting by my Granddad who is lying on his death bed. He probably won't make it through the night. While we were talking, I asked her if she had any regrets about her life. Now, this woman smoked for 50 years and my Granddad's COPD was most likely caused by her smoking, since he never smoked a day in his life. So, when I asked her that, I sort of expected her to hesitate and think about it for a minute, but she didn't. She said "no" very quickly and confidently. I asked her how to get to a point where you don't regret anything you did in your life. Her answer was "Always do what you think is right. You might not always be right, but if you think that you're doing the right thing, and truly believe yourself, then you'll be alright." Her second piece of advice was "Never put things off that you know you need to do. Do it as soon as you can." I think that second piece of advice is the absolute key to not regreting your life.
So, if you're thinking about quitting, my advice to you is to not wait. There will always be something that could keep you from quitting if you let it. Develop a "no regret policy" now so that when you are leaving this earth, you can leave without thinking, "I wish I'd quit smoking!" We can't change the past. We can't control the future. But we CAN do some things right now that may very well impact our lives decades down the road. When I leave this Earth, I plan to leave with no regrets. Can you say that?
Crave the Quit!
Pam
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 6/17/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 664
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 16,600
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2742.32
[B]Lif