The best part of quitting smoking

Hi guys,

Not proud of it, but I’ve smoked on and off since 1992. It was never a lot (about a pack a week) but it was over an extremely long period. Pete Podlesnik ruined me in 1996. He was a lot of fun to smoke with.

To all you smokers out there, I get it. Sometimes, smoking is awesome.

I quit Valentine’s Day 2017. I had some help from an online/video coach who did it the right way but nagged the hell out of me too. But that was her job and I expected it to be that way.

Before quitting, I posed that I didn’t really care and had a bunch of rationalizations. I liked it. I didn’t need to quit. I was healthy in a lot of other ways. It was like mountain training for runners (even though I don’t run). I didn’t smoke all that much. The oldest rationalization is “Everything in moderation.”

The best part of quitting smoking is not to have to think about quitting smoking. For this reason alone I believe to be done forever with my charming little tobacco friends.

Every time I lit up one of Kevin’s home rolled menthol smokes in our warehouse, I’d think “I need to get around to quitting”. And then I’d go back to the rationalization store in my head, thus wasting any enjoyment smoking. Thinking back, there must have been a much better way to spend my smoking time.

Anyway, here’s an idea for you if you have a friend loved one who smokes, and you feel like sticking your big fat nose in their business for all the right reasons.

DON’T ask them if they know how bad smoking is for them. YOU CAN ask them how they might feel to be done smoking.

Second question doesn’t come naturally, but it’s the better one.

Until next time.

Tom