Terry's Two Year Smoke Free Speech

I spent the first year of my quit learning how to be an exsmoker. As much as my resolve was in place very early on, I still had to adjust to my new life, and that took most of that whole first year.

Smoking changes us, and much of it happens so gradually over time, we don't realize that cigarettes are behind these shifts. Anxiety is a common problem among smokers. I know I was having my fair share of it throughout the last few years I was smoking. I thought it had to do with the increased pressures and responsibilities of my life. Not until I quit did I understand how much my self-esteem had been hit by the habit. I came to see how I avoided difficult emotions by using the crutch of smoking. Anytime something stressful happened, my first reaction was to have a smoke and think it over. Nine times out of ten, by the end of that cigarette, I'd decide to let whatever it was go, rather than deal with it. This is not an effective way to deal with life, but most smokers do it to some extent, and it breeds tension. There of course, was the nagging worry in the back of my mind that I was killing myself slowly, one cigarette at a time. I was in a constant state of subtle turmoil. It was such an awful way to live.

I made huge progress with the new me during the first year. I felt like a new person by the end of it, and in many ways, I was. I had started the ball of change rolling, and it has continued moving right through my second year.

Two years, 19 hours, 58 minutes and 55 seconds. 18270 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,197.39. Life saved: 9 weeks, 10 hours, 30 minutes.

I've learned a very big lesson about life, and it all started with cessation. The lesson is simple, but the impact on your life if you take it to heart is profound. It amounts to this:

Don't settle for less in your life.

Smoking is a way of settling for so much less than we deserve. It tends to trickle down into other areas of our lives, and once we drop the habit, changes are bound to happen all around.

When I smoked, it didn't seem to make much difference whether I was exercising and eating well for my health since I was poisoning myself 20 times a day. Now, making the most of what I have by living healthfully has become a positive focus in my life. I won't settle for less. Relationships have shifted somewhat as well...some have been let go and others I nurture more. I tolerated more than what was good for me at times, but not anymore. Life is too short, and I won't settle for less.

Those quitmeters show us the amount of life saved, but they can't properly indicate the quality of life saved. You have to read between the lines of your quitmeter to see that one, but it is there, and is one of the best benefits of quitting.

Cessation brings the value of our lives into sharper focus, and it's given me the tools and belief in myself to make changes successfully in any area I choose to alter. What a precious gift that is. One simple day at a time...it works. Persistence towards the goals you picture in your mind's eye will bring you success.

Don't settle for anything less.

Terry's Smoke Free Milestones:
Terry's Quit Smoking Story
Terry's 1 Year Milestone
Terry's 3 Year Milestone
Terry's 4 Year Milestone
Terry's 5 Year Milestone