Another Arrival !!

[nsd_user663_21437]

OMG, I’ve made it to the penthouse!!! I really cannot believe how quickly the year has flown past – although back in those early dark days I really was counting minute by minute, hour by hour. But suddenly I was counting day by day then week by week then month by month and now a year later I rarely think about smoking at all!

My husband and I are both in our 40s and around a year ago started talking about our plans for retirement. We both decided that as we have been paying into our pension pot since we started working full-time in our teens we would both like to retire when we are 60-ish and really enjoy our retirement together. But then I got to thinking we were both heavy smokers and leaving ourselves open to numerous terrible illnesses – lung cancer, COPD, heart disease to name but a few and what if one – or both – of us weren’t around to enjoy the rest of our lives together due to smoking. Morbid, I know – but reality. We had a long, hard talk together and decided there and then – a happy and healthy, long retirement (and life) was more important to us than smoking and that was it – after the Christmas/New Year holidays last year we quit and have never looked back (he quit cold turkey, I used the mini lozenges for a few weeks and this forum). We supported each other and reminded ourselves of why we were doing this and that kept us going and kept us getting stronger and stronger and here we are. It also really helped me to mark my milestones on the forum, I could really see my progress and also to check in with everyone else's progress.

To all the newbies out there – if you really, really want to quit, you will. Simple as that – no ifs, buts or maybes. Myself and my husband (and every other success story on this forum) are proof of that. If your heart isn’t in it, you will think of every excuse under the sun to smoke but if the will is there, no excuse will sway your determination. Nothing can defeat a winning mind.

And to all my fellow January Freedom Fighters who have been trickling into the penthouse one by one – get us, we’ve only gone and bleedin’ well done it!!

Now, where’s my HUGE glass of champagne please??? :cool:

[nsd_user663_59644]

Blondie, a huge mahoooosive congratulations, what a wonderful thought provoking post, very well said, am sure will inspire many.

So very very pleased for you and your hubby, like you say it does get easier .

Congratulations to you both.

[nsd_user663_62846]

Congratulations Blondie

Brilliant post as well, thank you x

[nsd_user663_60964]

Waaay that Blondie!!! :D:D:D

Welcome Home and HUGE congratulations from me. A magnum of champers is waiting in your suite as we speak.

Well done on a fantastic achievement and what a lovely post!

[nsd_user663_61586]

WOW ! Well done Blondie, I like your style !!!

[nsd_user663_52101]

Congratulations Blondie😄😄😄

What a fantastic couple of weeks with so many successes and new penthouse residents,What a great inspiration to all the newbies starting out full of fear and dread that they will never get through the dreaded first few wks.

Just goes to prove keep trying and keep going and you will get there in the end.

Well done again x

[__steve__]

W00t W00t Blondie

Well done that girl.

Steve

[nsd_user663_62294]

Well done Blondie, I'm quite a bit behind you but really get the minutes, hours, days, weeks thing, it's so true. At first I thought I would never stop thinking about smoking.