This morning starts 70 days since I quit smoking! I am amazed I have gone this long without the urge to buy a pack and light up.

I have to admit. The nicotine gum I believe made it easier than using the patch. I guess because you are physically doing something which does something in your mind. Either way, I’m happy I don’t smell like an ashtray and my car doesn’t have ash everywhere and me ready to kick myself if it burned a hole in the seats.

There are times I can smell smoke on others but with allergies acting up I have days I can’t smell much to begin with.

The best thing I can tell people is this: if someone is not ready to quit then your nagging does nothing but make them more determined to do what they want to do. That was the case for me at least.

I know some people who are what I would label “militant smokers”. By that I mean they are of the mindset they will smoke where and when they want. I was never that way. If I knew people who didn’t like smoking around them I did what I could do to keep it away from them. Except if you smelled like smoke there’s not much you can do but stay away.

I was just reaching a point where I was being around people whom I didn’t want to smell like tobacco. I started getting self conscience that I was and I started to feel more negativity around it. With my weight loss I am to the point I can’t stand winter. Never was a fan but to go stand out and shiver to take a drag off a cigarette was starting to get annoying.

Then the times you stop and think about the fact they put some form of glue in the cigarette to make it go out quicker when you aren’t actively puffing started to make me wonder more and more what else in here was going to cause serious issues the older I get.

Then I started thinking more about how I am exercising more and trying to eat right to stay healthy and that I am doing an unhealthy habit.

Everything just started coming together in a way that the only answer for me was to quit. However, I did not want to quit cold turkey. I work in an office environment and deal a lot with the public. Last thing I needed was to be having a nicotine fit and react to a situation in a way that would get me into trouble with my coworkers and management.

So. Starting day 70, I haven’t purchased any tobacco. I am not lighting up and sucking who knows what into my lungs. My health will be even better. My clothes don’t smell. My SUV is clean with no ash on the floor and seats. The windows aren’t showing tobacco residue. I can be around people and not feel they are having negative thoughts about me because I smell like a carton of cigarettes.

There are more positives than negatives.

Just goes to show. We can achieve almost anything if we put our minds to it and make a commitment. However, make sure you are doing these things for you. Don’t just do these things for others. When you do it for yourself the things I mention about other people are just a good byproduct. If you don’t do it for yourself first and foremost, you will not stick to it.

I am thankful I have been able to do this with all the political unrest, Covid mess and the world in general. The one thing I have learned about life is when you need to make changes there is never going to be a perfect time. A time where life will go easy on you and allow you to not struggle to make changes. Have to learn to roll with what life gives you. If I had stumbled and failed if I just gave up then I would lose. However, if you start over the next day and keep going, you’ll win it.