Lesly Enters the 7% Club - One Year Smoke Free

"Smoking has nothing to offer me but disease and death"

I saw a sign outside of a department store last summer that really caught my attention. This is what it said:

LUNGS
_{Not available in stores}

One year ago, if you had asked me which had the greatest chance of happening:

1. The original cast of Gone With The Wind would show up in my bedroom
2. Pigs would fly
3. I would quit smoking

I would have put number three last. But miraculously, here I am today.

The people on this forum are truly remarkable. If you do not believe that you are special, heroic, accomplishing greatness, then I offer you a challenge. If you have any decent smober time under your belt at all, go back to the week that you quit smoking. Look in the Newbie and Introduction threads. I can guarantee you that you won't remember hardly any of the people. Why? They fell back to smoking - they couldn't make it yet.

You people are the champions: the winners!

Speaking of you people, I would like to thank all of you for supporting me on this amazing odyssey. A special thanks to the cast, crew, and audience of The Sistah Ash Kicker's Experience, and also, all who participated in our Idol contest and my RS spa. You guys kept me laughing for the whole year, and became my dear friends! Also, thanks to my Marchers - are our feet sore yet, or what? :-) Special thanks to a few of you who actually became my family - Linda - my eyes to the world, EB - Chica Hermana, Anna - my twin sister separated at birth, Tammy - my Utah cousin and co-conspirator, and my little Sis Michelle who was with me every day and in every way. And also, of course, Terry and Christine - you guys save lives. THANKS!

I hear the newbies crying for help day after day, asking when it will get better. In my opinion, it depends on your ATTITUDE! I listened to Terry - "If you want to change your life, change your mind". Smoking has nothing to offer me except disease and death. The mind can only hold one thought at a time. Anytime "junkie" thinking crept into my thoughts, I replaced that negative thought with a positive one: "I am so glad to be over that addiction", I am not a smoker", "Smoking is not an option", "No matter WHAT else happens, today is a good day because I am not smoking". I practiced this for months until those positive thoughts became my realities. My attitude is most definitely gratitude.

How have I evolved during this year? Well, that is a novel in itself, but I think I can sum it up by saying that when I started this process last March, my theme song was probably a combination of "Please Release Me" and "Turn Me Loose". I heard a song the other day that brought tears to my eyes because it described my feelings so well. Here are the lyrics:

I can see clearly now the rain has gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day

I think I can make it now the pain has gone
And all of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been praying for
It's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day!

Michelle always puts awesome quotes in her speeches, so I am going to take a page from her book and end with a quote. I am going to quote Mel Gibson from Braveheart.

FREEDOM!

_{I love you guys!}

One year, 0 minutes and 16 seconds. 12810 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,241.75. Life saved: 6 weeks, 2 days, 11 hours, 30 minutes.

Lesly Smoke free since 3/09/03
Newest member of the 7% club! WooHoo!
Warranty of the Sista Ash Kickers Experience

Gratitude is my attitude

Lesly's Quit Smoking Story
Lesly's Six Months
Lesly Reaches 2 Years Smoke Free
Lesly's 3 Year Milestone
Book Review - The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr

Last Updated: 3-22-2006