NOPE 2 Years, 24 Months, 730 Days, 17531 Ho... - No Smoking Day

No Smoking Day

5,276 members•32,496 posts

NOPE 2 Years, 24 Months, 730 Days, 17531 Hours, 1051898 Minutes, 63113880 Seconds

HercuValued Contributor•

To quit smoking was certainly one of the most difficult and amazing things I have done in my live…with the biggest continuous reward.......

I have been in a war as a youngster, which was tough but not that bad because I survived…After that I worked in a gold mine underground… 2 km deep.. It was difficult but enjoyed the daily challenges…

and I could pay for my studies....

38 years later I decided to live the life I was granted as a youngster and quit smoking….. and “ BOOM “ back to earth….knocked down to my knees and suddenly know what Zig Zagler meant by saying: “There is no elevator to success , you need to take the stairs”….

Yes, I crawled the first few floors up that steps.. Just making sure that I never slide back one step..Because I knew on step back will be the end and I will never have the energy or guts to reach the top !!!

But I attacked and not only defended...!!

As the saying goes.. “Change is hard in the beginning.. messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end” … In the beginning you crave, your body aches, you morn, you cough black phlegm, lose your mojo…you are moody , kick the dog..get road rage…snap at family…!!

When al that is fairly overcome you get all that messy rediscoveries… like smelling your morning visit to the bathroom …alleys with that overwhelming ammoniac smell….My kayak bait box….the old oil of Kentucky Fried Chicken..I never thought things can smell that bad…!!

And then comes the new life… Tasting food.. breathing without the weezing.....Smelling the soil after rain…. the wild flowers, the sea…My wife…

Not gasping for breath.. not sounding like an erupting Mount Edna when I cough…getting back my energy, sparkle and mojo…….Gorgeous !!!!!

No, I am not on top floor yet.. but strongly on my way…I can almost do double steps taking care not to slip and fall back..but the more steps I take the more balanced I get.

I am climbing daily… whether there is an end I don’t mind…. it is so nice and hope it continues

I am not a quitter but to quit smoking was certainly the best thing I did in my life …I am now the CEO of my own life !!!!

Written by

Hercu

Valued Contributor

To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .

30 Replies

•

jobm11 Year Smoke Free8 years ago

Absolutely wonderful!!! So encouraging and such a lovely reminder to yourself!!! Well done! A beautiful read dear man

HercuValued Contributor• in reply tojobm18 years ago

Thank you...Jo...Keep on to be strong and you will be there soon!!

melf1232 Years Smoke Free8 years ago

Excellent Hercu - really well done and a brilliant post - what an inspiration to us all you truly are...

I've got a long way to go to be where you are but I am determined to make it one day!

Massive congratulations, Mel

HercuValued Contributor• in reply tomelf1238 years ago

Thank you Mel...You will...Determination and desire is the key to success...!!

CocoaXChangeValued Contributor8 years ago

Congratulations Hercu. I'll add another Zig "People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily."

But surely you don't believe that KFC smells bad

Best in your third year.

HercuValued Contributor• in reply toCocoaXChange8 years ago

Thanks, Cocao.. KFC smelled very different than I imagined...Maybe not bad but different....Thanks again ....!

Frankboyd2 Years Smoke Free8 years ago

U should write a book, an inspirational and highly motivating post. . I'm twelve weeks free now and never going back. Looking forward to my two year post 😉

HercuValued Contributor• in reply toFrankboyd8 years ago

Frank..Thank you...You will post that soon..time really fly once the initial suffering subsided...!!

Telboy614 Years Smoke Free8 years ago

Great read hercu 👍and well done 😎

HercuValued Contributor• in reply toTelboy618 years ago

Thanks Mate...Truly a life experience !!!

NozmoValued Contributor8 years ago

That's a post and a half Hercu! Great read as ever. Congratulations on getting to the two year mark!

HercuValued Contributor• in reply toNozmo8 years ago

Thank you Nozmo..You are not very far away????

NozmoValued Contributor• in reply toHercu8 years ago

Still got a while to go Hercu...17 months for me tomorrow.

rose0012 Years Smoke Free8 years ago

You truly are inspirational Hercu, what a lovely read and also such deep and meaningful words, you should be so proud of yourself and rightly so, keep up the good work and inspiring posts xx

Rosie

HercuValued Contributor• in reply torose0018 years ago

Thank you Rosie...I am proud but will be in Heaven if it convinced just on quitter to stay quit.!!

Tryingtquit8 years ago

Thanks for the inspiration Hercu! It's always good to read about what is possible.

George

HercuValued Contributor• in reply toTryingtquit8 years ago

Thanks George...Your trip on memory lane woken a few things...Stay strong ..It is niiiiiiice on the other side...!!!

taurean72 Years Smoke Free8 years ago

Huge congrats on 2 years Hercu. Such a moving and inspirational post!

HercuValued Contributor• in reply totaurean78 years ago

Taurean...Hope it will help on your journey !!! Thank you !

RoisinO1Administrator3 Years Smoke Free8 years ago

Great motivational and inspirational post as always Hercu - going to pin it for our new members to read....thanks for sharing such a perfectly summary of your remarkable 2 year journey!

PS I too hate the smell of KFC since I quit, would never eat from there before I quit but definitely wouldn't ever eat there now, can't understand how they haven't been shut down

HercuValued Contributor• in reply toRoisinO18 years ago

Thank you Roisin ..for all your excellent loving support on my journey..I will always believe that this community and all the quitters made this 2 years possible and bearable because I could see I am not the only one suffering..!!

KFC ..Strange, but yes I did not ate Kentucky since June 2015...!! I can tell there is a KFC closeby ..driving in a foreign neighborhood when in the city...!!

RoisinO1Administrator3 Years Smoke Free• in reply toHercu8 years ago

Right back at ya Hercu! When I was pulling my hair out at Day 8, your invaluable words of wisdom and advice got me here today almost at my 2 year milestone. I remember like only yesterday printing off your quote below in big orange writing and stuck one up on my partition at work and at home on my laptop - it so helped me when struggling!

'Weeks 3 and 4 was the discovery of my weaknesses. The terrible idea to cope with life and the curve balls on my own. Now I realized that life is a reality and not a false euphoria of happiness where I can light a cigarette and every thing is OK......'

HercuValued Contributor• in reply toRoisinO18 years ago

Thank you Roisin..Getting Goose bumps just thinking back at those "BLAH" days !!...... Crazy!!

HercuValued Contributor• in reply toHercu8 years ago

Sorry and wanted to say I LOVE the badge ......

(Need to start the design on a three year badge !!!!!)

nettynoonoValued Contributor8 years ago

Hercu What a fantabulous post(as always) many of us would have failed without you spurring us on with your wonderful posts!!😊😊 congratulations on two years quit!! X 😊

HercuValued Contributor8 years ago

Netty..Thank you so much.......Super to see (Hear) you around and still strong in your quit...Well done !!

All together we gave this nicodemon a good bloody nose !!

JulReal2 Years Smoke Free8 years ago

Awesome post!

RoisinO1Administrator3 Years Smoke Free• in reply toJulReal8 years ago

Welcome to our community JulReal , perhaps create a new post introducing yourself and sharing your story....

JulReal2 Years Smoke Free8 years ago

I'm a 55 year old woman in the U.S. that quit smoking on March 13, 2017. I smoked for 37 years and quit cold turkey because I couldn't stand the taste of the lozenges and didn't want to use the patch (used them another time and had skin rashes). It's been one of the toughest things I've ever done, but I've been reading the posts here and it's made it much much easier! Apps on my phone have helped to keep me motivated and on track too. The bad: I've gained weight, I can be a bit ornery, I am depressed. The good: I don't wake up coughing, I don't sound like I'm dying when I laugh and I can sing along with the radio again without running out of air so quickly. I'm convincing myself with self talk that the good REALLY outweighs the bad because I DO NOT want to go back to smoking so I read as much as I can about it, I read others' stories because for me it really does help. I'm actually looking forward to winter...when I am NOT standing outside in the snow & cold smoking! Thanks for prompting me to post.

RoisinO1Administrator3 Years Smoke Free• in reply toJulReal8 years ago

Great to have you here with us JulReal and congratulations on over 100 days quit. I too quit cold turkey and will be 2 years quit in September, I too found knowledge was key, being strong, focused and this community, would have been lost without it!

PS This post you replied in is over a month old so won't get seen in the news feed, so for future posts, create a new one by clicking on the green button on the top right hand side of your screen.