One Day at a Time

Updated June 09, 2015.

As great as it is to be a moderator and as much as I love being here, I'm not suggesting that you need to sign on to a moderating gig to remain smoke-free. One day at a time, take whatever time it takes to become comfortable in your ex-smoker skin. Then, when you are comfortable, continue to take some time to remember where you've been and to reaffirm your decision to never go back.

Read some newer relevant articles or stop by the forum to read a few introductory posts, and then offer a word or two of encouragement to someone who hopes to eventually be where you are.

At the same time, you’re shoring up your equity in the process. If you make the very most of the time it takes you to get you where you want to be in this process, and then commit yourself to maintenance reinforcement, you’ll go a very long way in securing your future without cigarettes.

Invest in Your Life

People invest in savings and retirement accounts and IRA's, and rightly so, but none of these will matter if a smoking-related illness claims your life before you can enjoy the benefits of your other investments. It is worth every minute you invest and more. The freedom that awaits you is nearly indescribable, and with each passing year, as my gratitude continues to grow, so does my hope that more and more people will decide to reclaim the lives they were meant to live.

So many people have helped me on my smoke-free journey. I must thank my first mentor in smoking cessation, Christine Rowley. She was the original guide here, and it was her story that cemented my commitment to quit smoking.

May she watch over us all and be proud of our efforts.

Terry, guide extraordinaire, I am thankful every day for your abiding commitment to provide the best education and support to those committed to saving their lives. I'm so grateful for your guidance and friendship. Please keep teaching me. : ) My love and thanks to you and to all our Posse sisters: Lesly, Tammy, Linda, Gay, and Kerri. You all make me a better me, and I don't know what I'd do without you.

From the beginning, no one has been more supportive than my mom, Betty. Mom, thank you for your unconditional love and support. Your decision to quit smoking makes me the happiest daughter in the world, and I know you know that I am always there for you. I love you and I’m so proud of you!

I wish I could list all the people who helped me reach this milestone, but it's impossible. I think I would like to thank everyone here, veterans, midbies and newbies alike. If you have reached out to another to help make this process easier, more bearable, then I thank you for helping to preserve the mission and spirit of this forum. Thanks to you, no one has to travel this road alone.

I like this quote from Ralph Marston, and I’ll leave you with it and my very best wishes for your continued success.

When you're merely fighting against something, the fighting never ends. To permanently get beyond the conflict, work to replace it with something far more valuable and positively compelling for all concerned.

That is certainly not easy. It requires commitment, persistence, and much effort in the face of difficult challenges.

Yet in the end, it is the far better choice. For rather than perpetuating the conflict, you will have removed any reason for it to ever reoccur.