I wrote this a while back and I don't THINK I've published it before. If I have - forgive me. There's a similar one with the same title I HAVE published back in 2015. (My I've been on this site a long time):
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/t5/Journals-Blogs/What-are-you-doing-right-now/ba-p/764324
But today/tonight - at some point in the past 3 hrs. I've had a hankering for cigarette. And when I was about to put up a new blog about it, I was informed by the "robot" that I had previous content written. Amazing. Here is THAT content:
===========
Dale on his birthday today (Happy Birthday Kid!) is writing the same thing I'm thinking of. https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/t5/Journals-Blogs/Longing-For-A-Cigarette-Dreaming-Of-A-Drag/ba-p...
If you're dwelling on smoking, vaping, chawing - in this quitting business - you're doing it wrong. Turn AWAY from those addictive thoughts. Not easy, I'll grant you. You have to FIGHT to turn your mind in another direction. But you CAN. Focus on something else. ANYTHING else. https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/t5/Best-of-EX/Craving-Buster-Technique/m-p/93405#M177 If you do that technique you will instantly see that it works. So what does that tell us? We CAN choose the focus of our minds. WE are in control - not our addiction. But it's a fight, I'll grant you. And it takes practice.
It's SO EASY to give in. So hard to resist. But you are here on this website to do what? Quit. Right? Your choice is to stay true to that Best of You, or succumb, give in, to that weakest part of you.
It's easier to give in. But if tomorrow you wake up with another smoke-free, vape-free day under you belt, it will encourage you. It will show you how strong you really are. Because simply ONE DAY smoke free is a BIG DEAL.
Today, tonight, just resist that overwhelming urge. You can do it. I did. And I'm no different than you. I wanted a cigarette as much as you do right now. But I... was willing to put up with the pain of relinquishing this addiction. I found something I wanted more. And that was to never EVER have another Day One. Because Day One's are really the pits. And if you've been there, done that - you understand that each time you have to go through another day one - it's just harder to pump yourself up. And once you've quit once, you know you can do it again and that thought will never leave you. Because you will never be satisfied until you do - quit. Because we all know smoking, if it doesn't kill us early with lung cancer, will kill us slowly with emphysema or COPD. Because that Best of Us won't let us go.
So if this isn't your first Day One - make it your last. And if it IS your first Day One - still - make it your last. It's all about your commitment and willingness to go through whatever it takes to achieve your goal of Freedom. It's not easy. It costs - psychologically, emotionally. You'll save money and potentially health in the process. But you'll gain much more than that. You'll gain the knowledge that you can conquer mountains. Because this addiction is a mountain. As all addictions are. Just GO FOR IT!
========================================
So I wrote that back in 2015 and here I am now - 7 years later (with a 16 year quit) and for a BRIEF moment - wanted a cigarette. After a bike ride and/or some stress and - yup. But what I said back then is no different than what I would say now.
There's a member on the farm game I play whose name I just discovered is "so what". It made me laugh out loud. Having cravings? SO WHAT?! In the realm of your quit, may I suggest you think about cravings as "SO WHAT??!!!" It's not a thought nor attitude that will mesh with all of you who are here to quit, but for those who "get it" - go for it! Craving? So WHAT!
