To the new quitters on the forum, please know this, that you are not alone, the ups and downs, the tears and negative mood swings, the wanting to give up and just have that “one” last cigarette are part of the process that we all have to go through. The thoughts of wanting a cigarette can be all-consuming at the beginning, but with time, you can easily push those thoughts aside and it simply becomes a nuisance.

Have faith in yourselves, and know that you can do this! I never ever thought I could and for forty-two years I always said I would never quit. People around me were and still are, getting sick (and dying) from smoking-related illnesses. In October 2018, I gave myself a quit date, and I never looked back. I believed that I had one shot at this, so I had better make it a good one. Anyone who is having doubts or struggling, know this, there is no one or nothing that can stop you from quitting or that can jeopardize your quit. Except you. Ultimately, it is we ourselves that are doing this. It is our determination, our strength, our resolve that carries us through this journey. Our minds are our greatest ally. Or they can be our greatest foe, but only if we allow it to be so. Once we have made up our minds to do something, and we do not let anything stand in our way, there is nothing that we can’t do. Believe in yourself. You have every single thing that you need to succeed. Do not allow a small tube full of poisonous substances rule your life, dictate your actions and possibly take your life. Most of us thought cigarettes were our friends, they are not. We thought they relaxed us, they did not. We thought they consoled us when we were sad, they did not. They robbed us of being able to participate in physical activities and they were slowly killing us. All of we quitters now know how much that “friend” has been lying to us. All of us now know that we matter and we have what it takes to fight back and take control of our lives again.

Have a great smoke-free day and life!