Don’t Tell Me It’s A Challenge

Oh gosh, a good friend just reached out and said, how’s the challenge going?  I bit my tongue, before I took a deep breath and answered:

Not a challenge.  Just a way of life LOL.

Because that’s how I have to think of this whole thing.  It’s just a way of life sounds so much easier to deal with than a challenge.  Don’t you think?  Challenge feels like it’s insurmountable.  Way of life sounds like a walk in the park.  Easy peasy.

But if anyone else has quit smoking, you know, this ain’t no walk in the park.  It’s hilly with hard times and then a few minutes of smooth sailing for a bit.  My initial reaction to my sweet friend was ugly, because I wanted to say – you’re making it harder by calling it a challenge!!! and in that precious moment, my reaction was fast and furiously cranky and she was simply being a kind, caring, supportive friend.  To be honest, that’s so not like me to have such a knee-jerk reaction, so I know there’s pressure building here with the detoxing of the years of smoking coming out of me without the fresh input of nicotine.  And I’m ever grateful that I took a moment to breathe before responding.  At least I still have some patience.  Heck, I even told the kids that I quit and asked them to please give me the benefit of the doubt because I may be more cranky.

I’m doing this cold turkey by myself.  I’m writing blog posts about it, but I may not bore you with publishing them as I go through this process.  But on the other hand, addiction is addiction, with varying degrees of seriousness and difficulty, so I think anything you’ve tried to ‘give up’ be it something or someone at any point, cookies, sugar, candy, cigarettes, alcohol, pills, playing games, porn, toxic friends/family, gambling, etc. – it all hinges on how you handle the withdrawal and not going back to whatever it is you’re trying to change.

Does this make sense?  Because the bottom line is you don’t want to do it again so you have to find other ways to fill that time, that void, that need, and preferably with something that is a healthier alternative.

I’m finding that by changing the channel when I feel the need, helps me.  Also I am changing my mindset to this is a way of life that many people live quite comfortably (being non-smokers) so if they can do it, so can I.

Many thanks to all of you who are so supportive of me!  I need you and I appreciate you!  Thanks for being you!  Much love to all of you!

♥