Happy New Year to You All
the number one resolution - "quitting smoking"
http://www.kpcnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23665:Quitting-smoking-is-top-New-Year%E2%80%99s-resolution&catid=51:latest&Itemid=79
Can you believe that less than 1000 posts for quitting smoking exist online through google, and yet if I look up handbags in the search engine, i get more than 2000 results. (What does that tell you?)
2011 is coming to an end and 2012 is on our heels now. It should be a time of looking 2011 in the rear view... all the sporting events of 2011, all the news worthy stories, all the discoveries of 2011 coming to an end, and just like every other year, we all have things we want to begin anew in the new year. I think the biggest ones are, "I want to lose weight", or "I want to quit smoking". I am sure there are those which are much less glamorous, like, "i'd like to be more agressive", coming from someone who's sort of a wall flower; or for someone who's far too aggressive, "i'd like to control my temper this year", but overall they are the hopes and dreams that will carry you into a new year.
2011 has been successful for me, it's the 1st year in more than 30 (thirty) that i have gone without smoking cigarettes. I have actually made it through the entire year, and i am very proud of myself. But it wasn't easy. I had days when I just didn't think i could make it through, and then there were days, i made it through with flying colors. But there were years of practice before making my hope of becoming a non-smoker a reality. There will probably be news reports on television about the odds of being someone successful in their hopes of quitting something. And mostly, they have done the leg work, but if you were someone who abuses drugs, and you want to make this year special, by quitting, don't let anyone tell you that you can't. If you feel you've had it with being heavy and want to lose some weight, don't listen to that voice within your own brain that repeats all your old feelings of insecurity. If you are going to become successful at what you desire, you have to see, hear, touch, smell, and rise above your old mind set. If reading is something that will be encouraging for you, read. If like me, you are a walker, then Walk; if you like art, use your love for art to encourage yourself.
I am saying all of this because, having been around the block a couple of times now, I know that there are fears that we all share, the ones that keep us doing the things we probably want to rid ourselves of, but don't because of the fearful voice inside of us, that same voice that took us off our path in the first place, that doesn't want to see us succeed. In order to become successful at quitting smoking, I had to stop listening to the little voice that always said to me, "who cares? You are never going to quit anyway". And the odds of me quitting was really not in that voices' best interest. So, while being successful at your New Year's resolution would be great 1st time out, don't count on it, but never give up.
I was so afraid that once I quit smoking i would be less than cool, and boring to be around, when in all actuality, I am more easy to be around because I don't smell like an ashtray anymore, and when I find myself not being the cool person, I just think about how, my grandchildren all think that I am cool as a non-smoker.
Yeah, I finally accomplished my goal of becoming a non-smoker, but without all the previous years of trying, i could not have been this successful. I know that. All the little starts and stops actually gave me more confidence each time to continue to try and make this the final accomplishment of my life. I did it. I know that you too can quit smoking if you give yourself permission.
So, ring in 2012 with a shout, and do what it's in your heart to do, and i want to wish you great success today and next year.
See you on the other side!
Writing to live, living to write.
