Today is the anniversary of my quit back on March 14. I've been off the evil weed for three full calendar months, so today I start my fourth month.
It hasn't been as hard as I thought it might be, and it hasn't been as easy as I'd like it to be.
The first three weeks truly were the hardest part, as one might expect. I got through them on grit and determination, just toughing it out at times, taking it one day or one hour at a time.
Since then, it's been "relatively" drama-free, with only a few big challenges (like spending four days in a smoky casino!) along the way.
Nowadays, I get a different kind of "craving" than in the beginning. It's not the same at all. It's more of a sort of nostalgic longing for a cigarette to go with something else - an evening on my own, or a beautiful sunset, or a glass of wine.
The feeling doesn't persist, and it doesn't take too much to acknowledge it and let it pass, and for that I'm grateful.
I hardly consider my quit a "done deal" and I know that I could easily blow it in one day with just one cigarette, so I remain vigilant and don't allow myself to engage in any stinking thinking about how I could handle just one or two and throw away the pack. I can't.
One cigarette would lead to one pack which would lead to reverting back to my old ways immediately, and it would be YEARS before I had the guts to try quitting again.
So I'm proud to be here, I'm delighted to have come this far, I'm grateful it isn't that hard nowadays, and I'm on guard 7/24 to make sure I don't blow it. Thank you for all the kind words along the way; this board has made it so much easier to go through this experience.
Carry on! The Penthouse awaits!