One year ago, at the start of my quit, I wrote down my reaons for wanting to kick the habit. They remain as true now as the day I wrote them...
It feels quite personal to share this - it brought a little tear to my eye to read it again today. But it's an emotional journey quitting smoking and we're all in it together, so here goes...
[*]I don't want to die young.
[*]I don't want my familiy to have to watch me suffer a slow and painful death.
[*]I want to have healthy, happy children.
[*]I don't want to be a bad example to my children.
[*]I want to be able to smile confidently when I walk into room - not worry about how much I stink of stale tobacco.
[*]I don't want to keep spending my hard earned cash on a slow suicide.
[*]I want to be able to taste a kiss again.
[*]I want to prove to my Mum that it can be done and inspire her to quit - I don't want to see her life taken by tobacco.
[*]I want my Grandad to be proud of me.
[*]I want to run. For miles and miles and miles...
[*]I want to be able to fill my lungs completely. It often feels like I can't breathe in all the way and that scares me.
[*]I don't want to feel like a social outcast anymore.
[*]I want freedom - cigarettes control my life. I can't go anywhere or do anything without first considering where, when and how often I will be able to smoke. Why should a stupid ****ing plant have a say in my life - these should be MY choices!
[*]I don't want to stand outside on cold, wet and windy winter days because I need to get my fix.
[*]I'm fed up of my clothes stinking of smoke.
[*]I don't want to look old before my time.
[*]I can't stand the guilt I feel almost every time I light a cigarette.
[*]I've lost more hours than I care to remember crying over how powerless I feel to smoking.
[*]If I could turn back time and change just one of my actions, I would never have taken that first cigarette - I'm still paying the price for it ten years later.