Who managed to quit smoking? or is trying to quit?

[farouk]

On 7/7/2023 at 9:07 PM, Raised2newlife said:

I quit in 1985. It is not even a temptation anymore.  For anyone who is quitting it is essential to now consider themself as a non-smoker. It absolutely gets easier as the days and weeks go by. Don't quit quitting.

Hi @Raised2newlife Good to see you back on the forums.

I guess your quitting has been going well now, for a long time............

[D. Adrien]

On 1/12/2024 at 1:36 PM, Marathoner said:

I hope you don't mind if I offer some general advice to those who wish to stop smoking, @farouk. 

First, smoking is not a habit. Smoking is a complex of habits which reinforce one another. Understanding this goes a long way toward developing successful strategies to change these habits. That's what smoking cessation is all about: changing those habits. 

For myself, I engaged in smoking whenever I meditated upon/considered a matter in depth. By leaving wherever I happened to be to go outside (I never smoked indoors), this was the first step in a series of habits that I found pleasant. That was how I started smoking in the first place.

It's also important to share that the Lord never once scolded me for smoking; rather, He encouraged me to stop, declaring that not only was this possible for me to overcome, but that I would be shocked at how everything would change after I was liberated from smoking. One day, I asked the Lord to help me overcome smoking, and that's when the Spirit instructed me regarding the nature of these habits. Yes, habits... there was more than one. 

The Lord counseled me to commence the moment that my last cigarette was gone; when this happened, I was to dispose of everything associated with smoking in the dumpster along the street. Having done this, the Lord reminded me of my strength --- the capacity to stoically endure hardship --- and instructed me to stand fast and allow nicotine withdrawals to run their course. As I shared above, those lasted three days. 

I needed to establish new and constructive habits to replace those associated with smoking. That was the most challenging aspect of overcoming smoking to be sure, but I arrived at several that admirably filled the void:

Walking at a very brisk pace... jogging up and down stairwells... rearranging everything in my apartment and/or office at work... cracking jokes with my neighbors or coworkers... and meditating/considering matters without smoking. It took time and practice for these habits to supplant the ones associated with smoking. 

That was the most critical aspect of overcoming smoking, my friends. Those habits were the key to lasting success. I also discovered the truth of the Lord's promise regarding how everything seemed to change after I stopped smoking. My sense of smell and taste improved drastically... I had more energy during the day... and I woke up in the mornings feeling refreshed. It was astonishing! 

T+R+U+T+H= truth.

[farouk]

35 minutes ago, D. Adrien said:

T+R+U+T+H= truth.

@D. Adrien Thanks for your comment.......

[farouk]

@debrakay

You said back a bit: "I was around my adult son and DIL for 11 days and they both smoke but it did not bother me at all.  I guess I never thought of tattoos being an addictive thing but I guess maybe there is adrenaline involved with the needles and pain and we know natural adrenaline is addictive."

I guess that with you having successfully quit, smoking is now far enough back in your past for it not to bother you that you would want to start again.

You must be relieved indeed to be nicotine-free........

As far as becoming addicted to tattoos is concerned, although there is a tattoo parlor in Florida that puts out videos and it's called 'Addicted to Tattoos', yet in a sense it's a different sort of addiction (if it's really an addiction at all).

In any case, seems like you guys in your family have experienced tattoo needles in a controlled, measured way, right?

[debrakay]

6 minutes ago, farouk said:

In any case, seems like you guys in your family have experienced tattoo needles in a controlled, measured way, right?

My adopted son (my birth son married his sister who was best friends with my daughter and both boys have been best friends since 7th grade so he calls me Mom) and his wife both have tattoo sleeves on one arm.  We have neveer really sat down and talked about why they felt the need for an arm full of tattoos but in the grand scheme of things their salvation an belief in Jesus is all that matters.  Ashes to ashes.  Dust to dust.  The tattoos will not follow them to heaven. 

[farouk]

Any more successful quit smoking stories?

[farouk]

On 1/29/2024 at 11:30 AM, debrakay said:

My adopted son (my birth son married his sister who was best friends with my daughter and both boys have been best friends since 7th grade so he calls me Mom) and his wife both have tattoo sleeves on one arm.  We have neveer really sat down and talked about why they felt the need for an arm full of tattoos but in the grand scheme of things their salvation an belief in Jesus is all that matters.  Ashes to ashes.  Dust to dust.  The tattoos will not follow them to heaven. 

@debrakay

So are they non-(quit?) smokers, both of them, maybe? (I think it's great if young ppl can stay clear, from the start...............)

As to why young Christians are eager to get faith-based tattoos:

FYI:

Quote

..in the rural Bible Belt. Just about every person in three of the four sides of my family (bio parents, step parents) have multiple tattoos. Most of them are biblical (crosses between the shoulder blades are the most common ones) getting tattoos when your old enough is pretty much expected in the family.

source: reddit

 

Quote

Around here (Bible Belt), it is common, especially among evangelical Christians, for the girls under about 40 to have religious tattoos. More do than don't, especially when you get to the under 30 crowd. I hardly know any female at church that is under 30 that does not have a tattoo.

forums dot thewelltrainedmind dot com

 

Seems like so many young Christians in some areas really strongly desire to have their parlor appointment, anyway, for the inking machine to ram in their faith based design.

 

[farouk]

On 5/29/2023 at 2:14 PM, Anne2 said:

LOL, my daughter there! A nurse and former smoker.

@Anne2 So does your daughter who successfully quit know you still smoke? and maybe could the fact that she successfully quit eventually help you with a motivation to quit also?

(Sometimes shared family experiences can help with motivation, anyway.)

[Anne2]

8 minutes ago, farouk said:

@Anne2 So does your daughter who successfully quit know you still smoke? and maybe could the fact that she successfully quit eventually help you with a motivation to quit also?

(Sometimes shared family experiences can help with motivation, anyway.)

She quit and has stayed quit. But, it has not motivated me, well not anymore.

[farouk]

On 2/19/2024 at 1:05 PM, Anne2 said:

She quit and has stayed quit. But, it has not motivated me, well not anymore.

@Anne2 I guess now it would be other factors that would likely motivate you more, if at all.