I've made a list...

[Brittney4]

I have a super busy day tomorrow which should help!  I am going to wake up, shower and spend as much time as possible getting myself pretty, because after all, this will be the first time I have gone to school without smelling like an ashtray!  Mornings are hard so the busier I can stay during those hours will be SUPER helpful!  I have made a list of all the reasons I want to quit smoking and I am going to keep it in my pocket tomorrow and look at it when I am feeling out of it.  I have also made a schedule for myself tomorrow so when I am feeling out of it I can look at my schedule to see what I'm supposed to be doing and just do it!  I have a giant bottle of water to put in my backpack tomorrow and about 5 packs of different kinds of gum... oh and my candy canes!  Love those things!  I guess all I'm trying to do is convince myself that no matter what, I CAN DO THIS AND I WILL DO THIS!!!  Failure is not an option for me this time.  I have done it before and I will do it again.  Most of all, I want smoking to stop with me and have my daughter grow up to be a 'non smoking snob'!  I want to conceive another child, I want to spend the holidays with my family without having to put my coat on every hour and go outside and freeze in the snow!  I want to breath when I run... I guess that means I also want to start running again!  I want to get into the nursing program at my college and if I can't then I want to do the respiratory program and they will not allow me in the program if I am a smoker!  Most of all, as silly as it sounds, I want to smell good again!  I want to smell myself and appreciate the scents of my perfumes instead of masking the smoke with perfume.  

I need to stop rambling but I just wanted to write all of this tonight so when I wake up in the morning I will have it all layed out for me and can visually see how badly I want this!  Good night everyone! 

[cyn9]

Ramble on! It sounds great!  Make sure you read this in the morning. Maybe copy it and tape it to your mirror in the bathroom, on the fridge, The visor in your car or whereever you might see it.  You can do this. You said it - FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION! Do it!

NOPE!

[family-first]

Never an option! You can do this! You are ready! 🙂

[kellie3]

Remember if you need to stay occupied your welcome to come help me move furniture and decorate.  Only you can make moving furniture worthwhile to your dad.  And, if you need me to take Layla in the evenings for a few days.. just speak up.  You're dad when I got home brought up all things Christmas.  So... tomorrow I will kill Thanksgiving and the Pilgrams and begin the ho ho ho process.  I love you and like your schedule.  Remember to be flexible though.  If something doesn't go as you expected... sway with it and move on... don't get frustrated and stop by the store.  

I am proud of you.

Mom

[Brittney4]

I think I made the schedule more so I can keep my brain on track.  This morning (before I screwed up) my brain was mush... I need to keep on track with school work and my house so I think a schedule will help me remember what I have to get done, even if it isn't done in the hour I schedule it.  Thanks for your support mom.  I am not sure how I will feel about helping you but I will sure take it into consideration tomorrow and see if it seems like it will help.  I may just want to come home and sleep for the next 7 days 🙂  I love you and I will call you after school.

[dawn4]

Brittney!

YOU can do this!!!!  I absolutely know that if I could get clean from this insidious addiction, then anybody can.  I know it!!!! 

I found this web-site the actual day that I quit smoking and it was such a God-send to me.  One technique that I found helpful, other than blogging, was reading the blogs of those who had successful quits.  I'd read them from the first to last .....  one blogger who was truly a blessing in my quit was your momma.   And to this day, I advise newbies to read her story.  She is such an inspiration and uses her illness to help others in their struggle to become free from SMOKING.  Also, if you haven't seen the Bob Newhart video, It helped me to laugh in those first days, when it seemed that I cried constantly!   Remember, tears and even the crankiness are signs of withdrawl and healing.  Celebrate it all as you RE-learn life SMOKE FREE!  Seeing your picture, we now know where your beautiful daughter gets her beauty from.  You and her grandma!!  🙂

God bless you!

[Giulia]

Brittney - In my opinion, trying to convince yourself of all the reasons you don't want to smoke or shouldn't smoke is not the trick.  I made a list myself in the early stages.  Meant absolutely NOTHING.  I knew all those things YEARS before I wrote the list.  It was nothing new, just a 'convincing reinforement tool.'  And not particularly effective - for me anyway.  "I shouldn't smoke because"..... or "I want to quit because ....this and this and this" - wasn't  enough for me to overcome the cravings.  The cravings are gonna be there whether you convince yourself you want to quit or not. 

What WAS effective was to set a time limit.  Mine was 40 days.  Yours might simply be three.  Or even one.  Just stay quit for ONE WHOLE DAY.  And then, when you make it through that day, you set up the next one.  You say, I will not smoke TODAY.  Just today.  You have to be willing to be uncomfortable.  Quitting is NOT a comfortable process.  The more you accept that, the easier it will be.  The more you fight it, the harder.  Allow yourself to be uncomfortable.  Embrace it.  And surprisingly it will disappear sooner than later. 

You want to get pregnant.  I've never been pregnant, but I get the sense that early on in the process there might be morning sickness, and later on there's back pain, swelling, etc. You know what you're in for, since you've been pregnant before.  But you're willing to go through that 9 month process for the ultimate goal of creating a new life. 

You have to determine, deeply, what you're willing to go through to become smoke free.  It takes a lot of inner study and outer study.  I'd rather see you make a list of what you're willing to go through to be free of this addiction.  If you say anything and everything - you will succeed.  Because if you say that, deep down in the core of your being, it means you will allow no excuses.  And THAT'S the magic key that unlocks freedom's door.

So, my question to you, Brittney, is:  what are you willing to do to never have another Day One? 

[misty_dawn]

Go for it!  Great advice, Giulia.

[Legend]

Stay positive you can do this.  It is good that you are going to stay busy it helps.

[jojo_2-24-11]

Great going Brittney, You can do this! Go gettem girl!

[aztec]

Glad you are using ex as a tool. We are here to help.

For me I had to get the knowledge that I was killing myslef for real and I didn't want to die and early death, 17 years early and make my loved ones cry.

I would rather suffer a little now than alot later.

I would rather breathe than smoke.

Hope you choose life!!!

Love and light to you

Aztec

[Strudel]

YOU can do this! I also wrote down NOPE (Not One PUff Ever!) on a card and carried that with me to remind me of my commitment. Stay close!