Again, in honor of all that I have learned here at the Q and of all the wise words from which my courage has been born, I post the following collage, snippets taken from posts and answers ranging in time from 1999 to the present. There are too many contributors to name, and many are only a fragment of what was said. That fragment was something that caught my eye, something that made me say, “into the library it one goes!” I enjoyed editing these and seeing what I’ve found inspirational along the way. This montage is dedicated to the whole community, the Q, who is here everyday, fighting the good fight, lending a hand, bending an ear, saving a life. The quitnet has given my courage a place to thrive, a home in which to grow into elderhood and finally to move forward with my life.

Enjoy!
your quit sis,
maggie
day 100

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If you truly want something badly enough, you WILL find a way to make it happen.
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Yeah, we’ve squared off before. I know how deceptive and powerful you are. But every bit of power you have, I gave you. Not once has anyone ever tackled me, stuffed a cigarette in my mouth, put a gun to my head and screamed “Inhale!”. No, I had to seek you out. I had to drive through rain and snow late at night, dig out money and ask for you. Every single time.
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there once was a demon named nic
who made all his lovers quite sick
til finally they
said, "hey nic, stay away!"
and don't come back thinkin' you're slick.

the demon was gone for some time
til many forgot his real crime
but guess what they said
when they found him not dead?
"at last we will get you, you slime!"

if you always remember the shit
you go through when having a fit
the stronger you'll be
when he wants company.
Never question your decision to quit.
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get tough. get pissed. flex your responsibility muscle. yeah, it's hard. yep, it sucks and it's not fair. so what????????? do you really think that the nicodemon & the Big Tobacco companies care? not as long as they can control you.

the only way to take your life back from them is to fight, and it ain't easy. but it is YOUR life!! they do not own it. Don't let them take life away from you and your family. DON'T LET THEM DO IT! you wouldn't let a robber waltz through the door, why would you let nicotine rob you?

This is not a game. This is not a habit. No excuses aloud

THIS IS YOUR LIFE
TAKE BACK CONTROL OF IT
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SO please think long and hard about what it is you want, make up your mind, and take the appropriate action to get the results you want.
You have the power in you to make this journey a pleasant one or one from hell, why not make it one you can enjoy each and every day?
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the point is if you want to quit, don't smoke.
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You pinned the tail on the donkey, and the Jackass will smoke if you give him a match.
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NOTE: YOU MUST ALLOW A SLIP TO OCCUR, THEY DON'T HAPPEN ALL BY THEMSELVES.
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I know that this IS my quit. I am a NON SMOKER. I just have to fight through all the crap the ole demon throws my way.
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Stay strong, the real you, knows what’s right!
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Did you know that statistics say if you don't cheat, not one puff not one, for the first 15 days then your Quit will have a 50 percent chance of success.
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I've noticed many of you are struggling with withdrawal & are concerned with personality changes. Don't be. from this Classic Bitch who studied under a Generation of Royal Bitches,hear our Manta!
We Must Learn to Embrace our Inner Bitch! Bitch Loud & Be Proud! Bitch with Eloquence & Wit. Bitch with Determination & Purpose! Bitch Softly & Slowly. Bitch with Style & Grace! Remember to Bitch with other Seasoned Bitches & do your best to Inspire the up & coming Bitches of our future! Never under estimate the power of a Network of real Bitches! Be a Role Model! Look to the Ancient Bitches for Wisdom.Look to the modern Public/Political Bitches (that have gone from Tea Parties to Senate Seats) for Inspiration! When in doubt ask W.W.M.M.I.L.D.?(What would My Mother-In-Law Do?) Also, never confuse a shrew with a Bitch. A Shrew is a whiny wanabe, A Bitch is the real Deal..
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Actually, you do not have to change your personality at all to become an exsmoker (or nonsmoker -- whatever your terminology preference is).
You do not have to be positive or nice or more religious (or religious at all).
You do not have to be a kinder, gentler person.

ALL you have to do is not smoke.
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it has been a real journey, a fun journey, and at times not a real fun journey.
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I know for me, that there are things surfacing that I don't like too much, but I can try to being grateful that they are in front of the smoke screen so that I can deal with them. Change is not easy, but it is inevitable. Smoking doesn't help you to deal with these issues, it prevents you from seeing them.
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come sit in my chair for a moment and listen to the woman next to me cough...it is awful

BTW she stinks like smoke too

You can do this--- that person could be you:)
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Keep your guard up always - there's no such thing as "home free" when you are an addict.
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a light bulb went off in my head and I realized I really could live without tobacco just fine........could in fact control the strength of those urges as well. I just don't romance the demon anymore-----I refuse to foster the memory of smoking in any sort of favorable light. I'll still get cravings, but they pass considerably quicker when I just remind myself that smoking is NOT AN OPTION.
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So I don't care how many cravings i have, or that my husband has cigarettes on him. I am not smoking. I will not smoke. I can do this and I am doing it. So I don't feel too good right now, cancer has got to feel a whole lot worse.
So, onward.
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Yes, and we smelled yucky too! I spent the afternoon in the library last week and a lady was browsing the shelves behind who reeked on cigarette smoke. I was thinking to myself 'Did I smell like that?' And of course I did. I finally had to move because it was so strong it was nauseating...And I NEVER thought I would say that!
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Here's something thay may, or may not help, when you go to have that cigarette... think about the fact that it could be the one that starts the cancer....
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It is tough, but it also DO-ABLE
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The path to the the cancer center at the Hospital I work at is paved with "just one cigarette" patients, and the heart failure and respiratory therapy centers too. No such thing as just one cigarette, never has been, never will be, and theres a couple thousand people on the quit smoking boards that lost quits of 6 months to several years long, that had just one cigarette, and always went back to full time smoking within days.
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How can I tell you of the sense of accomplishment, pride as you watch that special milestone arrive, think to yourself, If I can do this, I can do anything..
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There is another side to this hellish tunnel and you will get there if you do not smoke.
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You know what?? You're going to be okay.
You want to cry, cry.
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She's a junkie whore spider-woman-creature...
I tell her no. Sometimes she cries. Sometimes she rages. But she always goes back to sleep.
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A short period of pain and misery now vs a long period of agony later is really worthwhile.
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remember that it is the smoking that has made you feel this way, not the quitting.
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So you feel like hell for a week or two and all you want to do is crawl into bed and cry or something. So what.
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when?? tell me when it gets easier please
Reply :
in 7.5 minutes.
tomorrow.
day 8.
day 11 (sings)
day 20 (the joy comes)
& so on!
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there is no escape from this hell, oh, except quitting....
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you can live without them & be HAPPIER than you ever were when you smoked! No Kidding.
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I too looked for a psychological explanation for smoking. Went to an addictions counselor and came up with the answer: There is no reason for the addiction, it just is.
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Sadly, there is no such thing as a valid reason to smoke, so ... sorry but I don't buy it. You're just trying to talk yourself into your inability to do this.
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You CAN do this. It's not easy, but it is simple. Do NOT buy the things, don't have them handy, and if one "falls" into your hand, take all the anger within and squeeze it into little shreds then flush down the toilet.

...Take back control of your life...refuse to play the smoking game.
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This quit I kept telling myself no matter what I'm upset about, a butt isn't going to change it, all problems solve themselves with time or whatever, I don't ever remember solving any issue in my life because I lit up.
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ah, nicodemon...the best GOOD is done when no one is watching too....that's when we shine...when no one is watching and so we could, of course, smoke a cigarette and no one would be the wiser...and yet we don't...and we don't...and we don't....and the more often we choose good, the smaller you become until ... you simply cease to exist at all!!!
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If you have any doubt about the physical aspect of addiction to nicotine, there is a real simple test. Will power will simply not do it with nicotine addiction or any substance addiction. If you think you can do it with will power, then try this experiment. Take a lot of exlax before you go to bed. Then, when you wake up in the middle of the night, go sit on your toilet and practice will power.
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Don't let addiction fool you. It is cunning, baffling and powerful and will freely take your life if you are willing to surrender it.
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Maybe just today you could do what you need to do to quit...which is nothing. Just don't smoke. Just don't. Do anything else your little heart desires except that one thing. Good heavens,are there rules about bitching out here? hope not.
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tried to hire this process out at one point but couldn't find a taker ;)
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Acceptance is the key. Analyzing is fruitless. Want a reason why you are 'addicted' (physically or emotionally). Here's one....'you were kicked in the head by a butterfly when you were six'.
Now you're free to just feel better, look better, save money and accomplish more.
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The consequeses of your decision to quit are easier to deal with than the consequences of a decision to smoke a cigarette. Keep your cravings in perspective.
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Yes. At 260+ days, I still get cravings. But the way I figure, I get them less now than if I actually smoked. So I ride them out.
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Use the techniques you already know to get through them, and remember that they will come less and less often as you build a whole new set of experiences that don't include smoking.
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I can't place enough emphasis on making a quit a priority. There are a lot of people who worry about being grouchy/moody, and gaining weight, and a host of other issues that arise with recovery from nicotine addiction. All I can say is that considering these things is okay, but if you let them, they can and will thwart your quit.
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No one is going to take care of us like we need to (and should be) taken care of. If we don't do it for ourself, why would we expect someone else to do it...
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There is no law of limitation except that which is self imposed.
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It is amazing what positive self talk will do to our emotions and outlook.
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so my fellow travelers,
trudging the road of happy destiny together,
take heart.
There really truly is an end to the suffering.

really.

have a cheeto on me.
I salute you.
It's a real adventure we are all engaged on,
the business of recovery from addiction.

be brave.
just don't smoke.
not one. not ever.
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Just repeat after me....
What if the next puff is the one that starts the cancer....
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What if the next one kills me? How badly do I want it now? Hang in there...the tuff stuff passes and the good stuff stays. You can do it! Just post and keep occupied and lose yourself in something you like. Don't give up!
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for me it is picturing victory and saying positive fighting words to myself - never gonna let those tobacco companies take my money and my health and my pride anymore!
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Go run a marathon this weekend. Unreasonable? That's right. Walk around the block on the hour every hour. Get the ladder out and climb up on the roof to check out the view. Drive through every fast food place in town and do a french fry analysis. It's all OK and it's all fun and cool and especially impossible after you're dead. Smoking is just not an option any more, thank goodness. Glad to hear you're in tune with how it feels. Now go live your life.
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Before you smoke that first cigarette, look in the mirror and say, "I want to smoke for the rest of my life. I want to smoke for the rest of my life. I want to smoke for the rest of my life."
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It’s an exciting challenge, a long road with new and beautiful sights and smells around every corner.
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Ok..just say I don't want lung cancer..and imagine if you did smoke..picture that smoke going into your lungs..blackening them, burning your insides and think how you will say "shit..why did I have one" after just one!
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WARNING*** I'm very angry and I'm going to vent. I don’t mean to offend anyone.

Smokers telling me "why don't you just smoke?" because they can't handle my wrath. WIMPS! Deal with me...don't use that cop-out line.

Non-smokers (my BOSS) trying to tell me that the withdrawal symptoms only last for a few days. F*** OFF! How would they even begin to comprehend what I'm going through? They have no clue.

I think people who've never smoked think we are imagining things, or that smokers are weak..or something. They don't take it seriously enough. Hell..if I was an alcoholic or a heroin addict, my insurance company would pay for me to go to rehab..and everyone would be more understanding. I might even get time off of work with PAY!

This is really serious...trying to quit smoking is just as hard as trying to quit ANY addiction. More people should understand that.

And right now...I dont give a F*** if I get fired, or divorced, or whatever! I just don't care. I am not going to smoke and start this stupid vicious (sp?) cycle over again. If this is what my life comes to then SO WHAT. I can get other jobs, other husbands, other friends, other places to sleep, clothes, food..etc...

So everyone is just going to have to deal with my anger & my brain being FUZZY or GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!
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YOU have to be strong and think about other things besides that crap you pull into your lungs.
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The best aid you will come across is WANTING TO LIVE.
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Great job in posting before smoking, it shows what you really want.
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This is a program of honesty. Without honesty, with yourself and the others here, you will be trying to do this with both hands and feet tied behind your back. Nicodemon loves it when we start conning ourselves. Its one of his favorite tools to keep this addiction alive. It is a strong form of denial, and denial keeps us sick, and prevents us from learning the truth.

I am an addict of one of the most powerful drugs on this planet. I cannot afford to tell myself, directly, or indirectly, that it is OK to take that first puff...

I've certainly done what you are talking about in the past, but it didn't work for me, and perhaps by sharing my experience here you will be better able to make a decision that will serve you well in the future. Pride prevented me from resetting my meter on many things in life when I should have. In the end, you are the only one that will know. Of course, you are the only one that is important!
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It's your choice, sober or drunk. Please don't fool yourself into thinking that you had no control over that choice....I've been hammered (was this weekend, matter of fact) and yes, the freaking things do smell/look good to me then...so what I say is, mmm...must be time to stop drinking cause I'm smoke-goggling again!!! That's when I ask for ice water and a straw.

You are stronger than you think....And when you decide that this quit is truly a lifestyle rather than a pick it up or put it down, as you like it, toy, I think you'll see what I mean.
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I had a dream that I smoked and when I woke up I really thought I had and I was mortified at the thought of it! I actually felt terrible and had to stay in bed and really think whether or not i had smoked, (cause just the mere thought of it terrifies me), Once I woke up more, and realized it was just a very bad dream I was so happy and jumped out of bed to begin another glorious smoke free day! 1 Puff for me is NOT an option
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I told myself this quit I'm going to be extremely strict with myself. Why? Because being any other way didn't work for me in the past, time and time again. So far it's working, one day at a time.

Sometimes I thought I had a really good reason for it, other times I had no good reason at all. Now I look back and realize there isn't one valid reason to smoke for me anyway.
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You have to consciously notice things that favor your quit...You must now use your conscious thoughts to reprogram the unconscious... it's all in the reprogramming -- even whether you are going to be miserable or grateful while doing it.
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In order to quit, we need to develop a program of not smoking that's stronger than the program to smoke.
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There is evolutionary instinct to avoid discomfort but there is also an evolutionary instinct to seek pleasure and comfort. If the pleasure and comfort from not smoking can be seen to outweigh the discomfort of the urges that instinct works to help your quit. In the long term that is the way it has to be.
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Look at yourself in the mirror. Look what you've achieved and how much self respect you have.
Unbeatable feeling!
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Try to drown it with water too, at least it will keep you distracted with trips to the bathroom.
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YOU still have to put forth the effort, and the want to. You still have to make a conscious decision to NOT SMOKE no matter what.
You can do this. Look around. Lots of people have. Including me.
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allow yourself to feel. allow yourself to have a bad day. smoking won't make it better, only feeling it will. tell that junkie inside you to bugger off, you aren't afraid of your feelings anymore. You can feel crappy and not smoke==> to tell you the truth there is a lot of courage in it. and a great deal of satisfaction.
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when it was just horrible for me, I put on headphones one day and turned the music as loud as I could stand it. After about 15 minutes the crave went away and I was STILL smoke free.
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When I want to smoke now, I know immediately that I only like the idea, but don't connect it to the real thing anymore.
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the nature of our resident junkie: He or she is with us to confuse us. Only a confused mind can believe cigarettes are helpful friends. I have told it that until 12 months have passed I can not engage in any discussion about ending my quit. This has really worked for me. I was getting too exhausted from the frequent bickering between the two parts of myself.
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I was smart enough to know that one day smoking would kill me but not brave enough to face it and change my life for the better.
Changing your life for the better is something we should all practice on a daily basis. It enriches our spirit. Self-disipline is like a muscle. You must use it to develop growth. Once you get in the habit of using self-disipline it get easier and easier. Once you develop it, you can use it in all areas of your life. But you have to start somewhere. The first time is the most difficult. Have faith in yourself and don't give up your dreams.

The real battle was finding a ways to handle negative emotions. I didn't know what to do when I felt sad or angry. Now I take a deep breath and face my problems head on. I ask myself "is there a solution?" "is this something I need to accept?" I handle the issues in my life. I no longer smoke to put them off or forget them all together.

I want you all to know that you can control your own life. It may seem difficult at first, it is new ground. You will get your footing and stand strong if you don't give in.
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I have wanted to remain quit MORE than I have wanted to smoke. However...there are times when it is DAMN difficult. When those times come, you have to swallow your pride (like me) and keep coming back to the Q. Even with 464 days under your belt..if you feel the 'want' to smoke...DON'T DO IT. Come here and post and revert back to doing EVERYTHING you would have done on day 1. JUST DON'T SMOKE>>>NO MATTER WHAT. (like me)
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Fifty Days –it is really amazing to consider that this is happening to me. I guess I am now out of the den for good and roaming the woods; joining the rest of the pack in hunting and survival. No longer is it a question of exploration, discovery, and play. It is now time for constant awareness, mindfulness, and continual work to ensure that I survive. I am not strong enough to be on my own but it is time for me to carry my share of duty for the pack.
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Do not try to rewrite the laws of addiction. As much as each of us would like to be, you are NOT the exception to this law -- you knew that when you struggled so hard to quit, don't allow the junkie in you to convince you otherwise.
This is a life and death decision we make -- to take that puff is a decision toward death. Not to take that puff is a decision toward life.
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To smoke in response to these things is a big mistake, because life is full of ups and downs .... people die .... people have arguments .... things happen .... that's how life is. As far as quitting goes, these are great tests of a person's resolve, and to slip in the face of one of these situations undermines a successful quit. Because then, for many people, it sets up the pattern of smoking (slipping) in response to these kinds of difficult situations.
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The best thing to do when you decide to quit smoking is just to never smoke.
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For years I struggled to quit. I once had over a 7 year quit going, but I thought I could smoke a couple and then stop. It has taken me 12 years to get a solid quit going again. Imagine ~ 12 years of my life smoking, because I thought I could do a FEW cigarettes.
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"I think the reason I felt so confident in being able to quit, and the reason I'm not surprised at how relatively easy it's been is .... I knew that it was all up to me. No one else would put a cigarette in my mouth. No one else would light it for me. And no one else would make me inhale. As long as "I" didn't do it, it wouldn't happen. The only person that mattered in determining the outcome of this quit was me. Just me. Oh, to have that much influence and control over every other situation and circumstance in life."
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