That extra day was no harder than the rest
Today marks one full year since my last cigarette. Being a leap year, there was one extra day to deal with my smokeless existence. But, in all honesty, this was far easier than I thought it would be.
Sure there are still moments where a nicotine desire passes thru my brain. After all, it is one of the most addictive substances on the planet. Luckily those moments are few, fleeting and very far between.
I’m not saying this has been or will continue to be a total cakewalk. I’m no fool. I have failed in the past. As much as one year (with that extra day and all) may be seen as a pretty major milestone, this is not the first time I’ve tried this whole quitting thing.
The first time I quit was for a whopping eight years (from the age of 20 to 28). The second time was several years ago and that lasted about eighteen months. What makes this time around so different?
Those other times were based on health or financial concerns. This time was purely due to my not liking it anymore. Smoking became nothing more than the need to quash a nicotine jones followed by endless coughing and wheezing.
Simply put, it was no fun anymore. So I stopped, cold turkey.
Since this was not a punishment–as it would’ve been if I still enjoyed it but stopped for health reasons–I don’t ever feel compelled to ‘sneak’ a smoke here and there. And because of that, I’m confident I can kick it for good this time.
Of course, only time will tell.
