We do this blog every Wednesday afternoon to offer encouragement to those in No Man’s Land -- months 2-3-4 of a quit, give or take a couple of weeks. This community has chosen to put a big, bright spotlight on NML – we’ve chased away the shadows, taken away the mystery, and put a lot of effort into bringing people in NML together. Because we understand that quitting isn’t over in a month.
Everyone who goes through NML blazes a trail for those that follow. You are not alone on this journey, and you never will be!
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This week’s topic: New Year's Eve Parties
Those of you in NML or recently out of it just experienced your first smoke-free Christmas, and are getting ready for your first smoke-free New Year's Eve. Parties and alcohol can be big triggers -- are you prepared?
If you find yourself struggling a bit at a party, turn the situation around. Instead of focusing on how many smokers there are and what they are doing (smoking), choose to notice the NON-smokers. Typically, non-smokers are the majority. And what are the non-smokers doing? Enjoying themselves, eating, drinking, talking, having fun, all without even thinking about smoking. Can you imagine the reaction you’d get if you said to a non-smoker “hey, wouldn’t this be party better if we were smoking a cigarette?” They’d think you were crazy. Align yourself with the non-smokers – watch them, appreciate them, imitate them – you are one of them.
Most of all, have a safe and happy New Year, and here's looking forward to a smoke-free 2016!
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If you're in NML right now, give a shout!
Click here to read the original No Man’s Land blog on Dale's page:
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/05/24/no-mans-land-da...
