It was the best (and hardest) thing I’ve ever done. Seeing my mamaw pass away due to lung cancer was the catalyst. I wasn't successful on the first attempt (or the second, third, fourth, or fifth for that matter), but ultimately I quit and never looked back.
What’s the hardest habit you’ve ever broken? Is there one you’re working on breaking now?
I smoked when I was in college way back when, but it was easy for me to stop. I don't think I was ever hooked, even smoking two packs a day.
ReplyDeleteAwesome you broke it. Hardest one at my sea was getting rid of the crap food I ate took 6 months but now all gone
ReplyDeleteI have never smoked, thankfully, and I know how hard it is to quit because both my parents smoked. I think it is fantastic that you have quit!
ReplyDeleteI don't smoke or drink or chew or go with boys that do...oh wait...I do drink with that boy I married...but not a bad habit, more like a fun habit...so I guess...biting my nails. Yep...love to do that for sure!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! You'll be around a lot longer to appreciate this decision.
ReplyDeleteI've lost over 160 lbs. and am very fit and healthy now. The hardest thing, though, to break, was my addiction to a sedentary lifestyle and too much food. Been maintaining for 5 years now.
Good for you!
ReplyDeleteIf an explosive temper is a habit, that was mine.
Well done!!
ReplyDeleteLosing weight and getting healthy are things I'm working on, along with less worrying and more positive thinking. It's all hard work but I believe it is - and will be - worth it. :)
Good for you! This means I can do it. I have tried to stop smoking several times and have failed miserably at my attempts. However, I don't plan on giving up on trying and truly believe I will stop smoking someday. The hardest thing for me to do was stop drinking and here I am 12 years sober, it wasn't easy, but I did it One Day At a Time, now if I can only apply that to my smoking habit.
ReplyDeleteMadison:-)
Congratulations on successfully quitting this disgusting habit. I quit smoking 45 years ago. I can't give you a specific date but my second baby girl has asthma and allergies really bad. My love for her was the catalyst. She didn't needed second hand smoke for sure.
ReplyDeleteMy reasoning was that very time I lit up it was like burning money in smoke.I actually could visualize and I never craved it after that .Like you I tried many many time unsucessfully before making my mind.
JB
congrats! It's a hard habit to break, I'm going through it right now. =)
ReplyDeleteyay--i applaud your success---i once was a smoker and still find myself watching people smoke and enjoying it--so i know how hard this is---you remind me i must pray more for one of my sons to quit--now if you don't mind--i shall add you to my list for continued strength---uhmmmm my habits are too long to list---still working on them :)
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any except overthinking but if I start thinking about breaking it as a habit I know I'll just overthink it anyway and that's a vicious cycle into which I am hoping not to lose myself.
ReplyDeleteExcellent job. I hear smoking is the hardest addiction to quit.
ReplyDeleteWhew, congratulations, Keith. That's huge. One of the hardest things I've ever done is lose 73 pounds and keep it off. I'd lost and put back on many times, but now it's been 5 years and my weight is stable and healthy. The other hardest thing was writing and publishing my memoir. Now, writing fiction for the first time, well...let's just say it isn't easy.
ReplyDeleteGood job Keith!!! Nicotine is brutal.
ReplyDeleteI kicked the eat to feel safe and not empty habit and I feel so much lighter and better!!
That is wonderful! Congratulations for quitting. And staying that way for so many years. 7 1/2 years for me this month. Best thing I ever did, too.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your will power....
ReplyDeleteMy toughest habit to break? Chocolate and bread products....really, really need to get better at this, according to my Dr.
What a happy anniversary! I'm so proud of you. I'm glad that I never picked up smoking because I've heard how hard it is to quit - something you know firsthand. Sometimes it does take a jarring moment like losing a family member to give us the catalyst to change. Congrats on your healthy anniversary :)
ReplyDeleteIt's been over 8 years for me and it was indeed the hardest and best thing I've ever done.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on being smoke free.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
good job! addiciton is probably the hardest habit as there is more than just habit you are breaking but a chemical dependency as well....but we are the same for sure in the hardest...
ReplyDeleteBravo! I'm working on reducing food portions as my metabolism drops. A lifelong struggle to keep blood pressure under control...it feels bad to exist on so few calories while others younger than I enjoy so many more! Part of the humiliation of growing older, I guess.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, that is something to be very proud of!
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary Keith! I'm so glad that you were able to kick one of the toughest habits to beat!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Keith! What a wonderful thing to do for yourself. I'm so glad you didn't give up but kept trying to quit. I never smoked, but my dad did and both of my brothers. I know how hard it is to quit, so pat yourself on the back!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to stop eating so many simple carbs and sugar, and it's hard. Nothing like quitting smoking, but it's a habit I'm trying to break.
Congrats on six whole years!!
ReplyDeleteQuitting was my hardest habit to break too. I'm at 2-1/2 years now and still very proud of myself... ;D
really, really good for you. congrats!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Keith - that is a really, really hard habit to break. I've never had it (thankfully) but I have friends and relatives who have battled it, and also alcohol - another tough one. So good for you - you should have a parade in your honor!
ReplyDeleteMy battle is probably with food. Not a serious, life-threatening kind of thing, (although it does affect my health) but I tend to eat when I'm bored, which put about 50 pounds on me. I'm currently "retraining" my mind, trying to avoid white sugar, gluten, etc. in my cooking, and working to keep busier so I don't find myself with nothing to do. I'm now 34 pounds down, and am getting close to my goal! I've learned a lot about myself, and I don't think I'll make the same mistakes again. And that's what its all about, isn't it - learning from our mistakes.
Congrats! That is a HUGE accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I too am trying to quit this nasty habit. This Friday will be 7 weeks. One day at a time :)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it often takes a tragedy to slap us into sober reality. Congratulations on your successful ability to stop smoking!
ReplyDeleteMy cousin Steve passed away on the 4th of July (this year) from lung cancer. He was a lifetime heavy smoker.
Congrats on that accomplishment! You are an inspiration for anyone trying to make a healthy life style change!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for being able to quit!
ReplyDeleteGiving up cigarettes was the hardest habit I ever had to break. Doubly so, because I was also addicted to menthol.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, good for you. I watched my Mom die to early from smoking related emphysema, I'm sorry you went through this with your Mom. I smoked through college and quit at 24 and it was really hard for me. I was upchucking sick the first three weeks, but that was the end of it. May you live long and breath deeply.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on being six years clean!! I remember when smoking used to be viewed as 'cool.' These days kids are seeing it for what it is, and I'm so so soooooo glad about it.
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, it's my five year today. I'd not really thought of it until I saw this post. I agree this was amongst the hardest things to do, but, given my physical rigors now, I cannot imagine/remember why I found it so necessary.
ReplyDeletegood for you Keith! I'm pretty clean cut, maybe fatty food!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed at the world of addiction, how we balance the panic and fear...only to become more unbalanced. *sigh* As all have said, congrats--and mine? Whiskey and late nights alone with the moon.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on quitting smoking Keith. That is one of the best things you could do for yourself.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I hope you are doing something fun to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteI quit this year on the 1st. I have not had a cigg or drop of alcohol in the year 2013! I found out I was pregnant on Jan. 11th so it did make my quit easier. But it was the hardest thing I ever did too. I STILL think about smoking. Even being 9 months pregnant! I just know it's not something I can ever do again, not even once.
Soooooo PROUD of you... I have a very addictive nature so I know that if I had ever smoked, it would've been difficult to quit. HUGE PROPS to you, my friend. What a freeing accomplishment!!!
ReplyDeletecongrats!! so proud!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on having beat smoking! You will never regret it.
ReplyDeleteDoes ice cream count?? Smiles.
The hardest habit for me to break is being too lazy to exercise. Every once in awhile I turn over a new leaf and jump in to some sort of activity/exercise ... but I always fall back into the habit of doing nothing. :(
ReplyDeleteThe hardest habit I ever broke? Probably my eating disorder. It's not quite fully broken but it's a lot more than saying no to food and the other ideas people have about it. It's very much an addiction to perfection, productivity, and success. I haven't broken my need for all those things but what really helps me is weight lifting. That focuses more on the journey than on the destination. You have to learn that it's about you sometimes and not what other people think. Life's a string of good intentions, set backs, and progress so why not look at it as such?
ReplyDeleteGood for you!!! : ) Congratulations on 6 years smoke free.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!!! I know it is really hard! My mom and grandmother did it as well. The hardest habit I have ever broken was when I dieted and lost 50 pounds. And kept it off for two years. Then one Christmas it all fell apart. I need to do it again, but it is so hard even getting started!!!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you quit ... great going :-)
ReplyDeleteOh wow good for you! Congratulations!! My brother has been sober for 2 years and I am so proud of him. I myself stopped biting my nails about two years ago :/ Bad habits are so hard to break...my son started biting his nails also and finally bought him that clear nail polish that taste awful I barely removed the nail polish two days ago so he's been "nail sober for 2 days!" hope the success will last!
ReplyDeleteAgain congratulations!!
Congrats on reaching "First Grade" :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's been a long road, so well done you :)
Still working on giving up fine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, but not having a lot of disposable income keeps me in check :)
This was the BEST thing you could have done for yourself!
ReplyDeleteWell done you! I gave it up 20 years ago and don't regret it for a minute. Really I should give up sugar, but, but, but...
ReplyDeleteGood for you DO NOT go back we care about you. I have never seen anything good come of it. My Dad passed with lung cancer and my brother and my Mom have throat cancer. I watched most of my family quit after that but some still cannot quit it is very hard. I never did thank goodness. Yes I am so happy for everyone who can kick that habit. HUGS B
ReplyDeleteCongrats! That is a hard habit to break! My husband kicked that habit before we got married.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds odd, but my hardest habit to break was when I was a kid. I was a two finger sucker from a baby to 2nd grade. I was born with calluses on my fingers, from sucking them. When I was a baby, toddler and kid I sucked my fingers as a form of comfort. I remember my mom saying, "You can't suck those fingers in school!" So it was then a night thing. It got to the point that my Dad put Tabasco sauce on them, then they put socks on my hands. I just remember it being a really hard habit to break!
i should give up sweets...and maybe uh smokes but yeah. Congratulations!!! You go sir...you go!
ReplyDeleteWell done you - it is soooo hard. My worst habit is buying clothes when I know I don't really need them.
ReplyDeleteI gave up the 'filthy weed’ when I started to cough in the mornings. And when my daughter said “mum, you stink, and this house stinks.”
ReplyDeleteOn the second attempt, once I knew I really wanted to pack it in, I did. From one minute to the next. I used to have nightmares that somebody forced me to smoke again.
At the moment I’m trying to give up chocolate, or, at least, only eat it in very small quantities and only high grade, dark, expensive chocolate. I’m getting there.
Congratulations on quitting. Good for you! I bet you can really feel the difference in your body as each year goes by without the smoke.
ReplyDeleteIt is good that you quiet
ReplyDeletewww.trendinginfashion.blogspot.com
Way to be.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very difficult habit because of so much addictive nicotine in the cigarettes. Congratulations! My husband smoked from the time he was a teenager until 2 years ago – he tried so many times. I don’t have any addiction or habits that I am trying to get rid of that I can think off – maybe try to be meeker when talking with my American friends. As you mentioned in your last post it is difficult to talk about politics in the US, people get so upset, but in France people like to talk about politics and religion and even more so if you are of the opposite persuasion, but they don’t get mad like here. The French also like to talk about everything that is wrong with France, but here if you mention what you feel is wrong with the US, people get quite upset as they don’t like any kind of criticism. At least that the way I have found it and many of my European friends have told me the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Good for you!! My habit might be sleeping in. I lay in bed then have to rush to get somewhere. I wish I could just bounce out of bed with energy and a smile - ready for the day. Not sure how to get at breaking this habit.
ReplyDeleteWay to be awesome!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I did the same thing over 10 years ago although I was not an inhaler...it was mostly a mental habit...a difficult mental addiction to break...congratulations...in my opinion nicotine is worse than any known poison in the world... now it seems so obvious to me, so easy, enjoy your freedom and your health : )
ReplyDeleteThat was a hard one for me too...after a couple of quits, it has been 13 years, and I cannot believe that I ever smoked! Good for you!!! Keep it up, health is number one. Thanks for the follow too!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week,
Nathalie
Smoking was one of the hardest things for me to quit... I quite in 1987 for 12 years... then I started up again when I met my ex in 2001... I just quite again 10 weeks ago. I am replacing it with exercising, that keeps me very busy and I don't miss it at all.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Keith, it is a hard thing to quit and I am in awe when someone goes so long :)
The hardest habit to break is my nasty temper and I'm still working on it.
ReplyDeleteYou a smoker? Hard to believe Keith. You look too healthy to have ever been. I'm glad that's in the past tense, well done!!!
ReplyDeleteHardest habit for me to break, being impatient with people. I'm always in a hurry, doing things asap and if other people aren't I get impatient. At least it's not life threatening like other vices. LOL
Hating myself has got to be the hardest thing I've ever quit. It took a lot of time and patience, and it was worth it and I am continuing on that path to self love and awakening.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you've given it up!
ReplyDeleteAs for me...I have lots of things I SHOULD give up...but what I'm struggling with right now is peanuts. Well, peanuts, peanut butter, anything like that. Doctors orders, due to my migraines.
I LOVE peanut butter. I could live on it. It's been really, really hard. And for lunch, I would usually have a bag of peanuts. I don't know what my doctor's trying to do me, LOL. :)
It's been okay. I freaked out one night and tore through the kitchen looking for a jar...everywhere, freezer, you name it. My daughter heard the noise and had to come in and convince me she threw it all away. Like I was a junkie or something. ... I guess I am, at that. :)
-Michelle
My mom quit and restarted after ten years before. She quit again but I remember the day she bought a pack at kmart. The one time I had could say I had the justification to slap her. That was the dumbest thing she ever did.
ReplyDeleteGood for you!!! I have been clean and sober for 24 years now ... but I still have this vice that you successfully gave up ;)
ReplyDeleteBravo. I used to smoke but not for long and it didn't take much for me to quit. Now if I could do that with Chocolate!
ReplyDeleteGood for you!
ReplyDeleteI used to bite my nails a lot, and I find that if I keep them filed (not clipped!) and very even I have less of a tendency for the biting. But I also rip off the dry skin off my feet (GROSS?! I know! Why Am I telling you this? Make the typing stooppp!) and I've never been able to quit it.
Way to go Keith! I know how hard that is, because this June was years for me. It took me getting pregnant with my second child (I did quit with the first, but started up again after I had her) for me to quit for good. Now the scent of cigarette smoke makes me gag. I can't believe I ever put that in my body!
ReplyDeleteMy dad passed away from lung cancer at 42. Such a horrible way to go, and one that could have been prevented!
I meant to say 10 years. Sorry. My number lock was off.
DeleteCongrats on this great milestone! No habits broken lately, but working to maintain a few existing ones...like exercise. Have a great week!
DeleteThat is so awesome! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I've been trying to get my parents to quit for years. I know it's tough. I quit drinking about 4 years ago. It's really hard for me to maintain it. I never had a drinking party and the reason behind it is a long story, but needless to say ... I struggle. It helps to just put something non-alcoholic in a wine or martini glass when out with friends. The bar tenders totally get it;)
ReplyDeletewhat an accomplishment Keith! Way to go.
ReplyDeleteI am currently trying to beat something that could kill me in the long run. Its many years now that I have been trying to beat it and there is a long road ahead. It is success stories like yours that help me realize that everyone has their shortcomings and that I too can overcome what I am struggling with.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I cannot imagine you ever putting one of those things in your mouth! Anyway, I'm so happy that you quit.
ReplyDeleteI sat here for the longest time, trying to find some bad habit or something that I'm trying to quit. There are a lot of things that I try and work on, on a daily basis, to be a better person. Mostly, to be tolerant.
Smoking for sure. I quit 35 years ago but it was not with out struggle. Like you I tried many times, rarely getting past 24 hours. Then luckily I got really sick, was hospitalized for 21 days with Demerol as a regular companion for pain but it also made me sleep a lot. That made quitting was a piece of cake. My hat, if I wore one, would be off to you for doing it with out such serious help. It is a dreadful habit.
ReplyDeletei'm still working on waking up earlier in daily basis. i'm just luck of determination in this department
ReplyDeleteI've never really had any bad habits. I don't have an addictive personality, so I used to socially smoke in college, but never fell into a bad habit. Good for you for quitting!!!
ReplyDeleteGoodness, you are one strong bub to have kicked the habit. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteBad habits... When I was 15, I was completely addicted to writing. I know, I know, that's not a bad habit--unless it consumes the rest of your life. I totally could have locked myself away and been a closet person for the rest of my existence, but I felt like I needed to go another direction. I tore myself away from the story world (ripped out my own heart and stomped on it) to be a "teen," and it was so worth it. You can only live through those years once.
I don't really have a lot of bad habits, outside of writing. :-)
ReplyDeleteThen again, I buy a pack when I know I'll be drinking/drunk. Bought one last Friday night. Still have three-quarters of them. So, you know. I'm ready for this coming Friday night. :-)
Pearl
I've never smoked, but I have plenty of bad habits I'm trying to change. There's actually a science to help with forming new habits. I've yet to master the science, but it's there.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, no one will EVER change, until they are ready for change.
Congrats, Keith. My husband has struggled with this off and on since we met. In my mind, I don't have any bad habits. If you ask my husband, he'll probably have a scrolled list of them.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Keith!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I never picked up that habit. If I gave up sugar I would be much better off though!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, well done :)
ReplyDeleteI'm in the process of quitting. I smoked for about five years and decided to quit because I had a scare (luckily there was nothing wrong). I've been smoking socially, but am beginning to feel really guilty about it. Here's to staying quit.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to you; a definite inspiration!
Congratulations. Was there a trick or tip that made this time easier??
ReplyDeleteThe Patch helped tremendously
DeleteA very dood decision! I smoked for a few years, too and it was hard to quit and took a few times, just like you. Now I am glad I did! Now, if only I can give up sugar! I am working on it. Congratulations on quitting!
ReplyDeleteFeel proud, my friend. And never look back. You'll be celebrating 7 years before you know it.
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic. I've never smoked but my O/H was on 80 a day at one time. He gave up smoking in 1992. It's really hard to do and I think you've done so well. He never smoked again either.
ReplyDeleteMy hardest-to-break habits are negative thinking and letting anxiety take me over physically and mentally.
ReplyDeleteI have a little inner voice that likes to beat me down into a million pieces... and for years I have let it do just that.
Now, I am working on developing new habits (like positive thinking, mindfulness, meditation, yoga) that will help me to overcome my bad habits.
One day at a time... I know I will get there :)
I watched my dad die of emphysema due to smoking Not a pleasant death. So glad you stopped.
ReplyDeleteI commend you for accomplishing such a difficult task. my husband has tried several times over the years to quit smoking-I think he's done it-and then some major stress occurs and he is right back smoking-I don't think he will try to quit any more-so that is fanatastic that you could.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Keith ~ that's a huge accomplishment! My husband stopped smoking almost eight years ago. He may have had some motivation.....like me telling him I wouldn't have any children with him unless he stopped smoking. Haha! But I do recognize how hard it is and I was so appreciative when he quit. And proud. Like you, he also has a history of lung cancer in his family.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to you - there is noting easy in quitting!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information... I really love your blog posts... specially those on Local Tamil News
Great job, I can imagine how hard it must have been...
ReplyDeleteThe hardest habit I've ever broken is the same one as you Keith. Lucky - I was successful on my first attempt. It was twelve months before I felt "normal" and was game enough to label myself a 'non smoker'. Well done and congrats Keith. It's a toughie!
ReplyDeleteI've never actually tried a cigarette in my life and I probably never will, as so many people I know who do smoke always tell me never to try it or get hooked! Well done on stopping, I know how hard it is from seeing a lot of my friends go through it. - Tasha xxx
ReplyDeleteOh well done Keith! Somethings are hard to quit - but some bad habits don't appear bad to those that have them. It is a personal thing.
ReplyDeleteAnna :o]
Good for you! My mother died of lung cancer 30 years ago when she was only 44. She had been a lifetime smoker. What absolutely amazes me is that my sister and my brother smoke. Yegods.
ReplyDeleteThe hardest habit I've ever broken? Hmmm....biting my nails....?
I've had another habit since puberty and I've no intention of sto...oh, I've said too much already.
You are a role model and inspiration to many whoever willing to quit but not.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! My mother in law smokes so much we always take a change of clothes so we don't smell so bad when we leave their house. She also had three heart attacks in three days and still smokes. I'm glad you were able to quit.
ReplyDeleteHappy six years!!! My husband quit cold turkey two years back, but he is still *heavy* on nicotine gums/mints.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up.
No answer given today - but I will say "Congratulations!" and "Way to be!" :D It feels GREAT to overcome and not be a slave to nasty habits!
ReplyDeleteGood for you!!! I've been trying to quit housework for years, to no avail. Your success inspires me to keep trying :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! My husband quite smoking 4 years ago and is so glad he did. Me? I stopped biting my nails..that's pretty much it. lol
ReplyDeleteDark Thoughts Blog
Good for you Keith! It's such a bad habit, expensive too over time. I also gave up smoking, so know how hard it is to quit.
ReplyDeleteThank you for following my blog Keith, it's always a pleasure when you pass by:)
Hubby and I have never, ever smoked. No bad habits that need breaking. Are we dull??? Naw...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI lived WI parents who chain smoked
DeleteDreadful habit
Yellow tobacco stained walls
Smoking must have been a tough one to crack - so congrats! I've never smoked, sunbathed or drunk regularly unlike my identical twin sister. Guess which twin was the more 'popular' one at high school....?!
ReplyDeleteMy only vice is Müller Red Cherry Fruit Corner yogurt. I've had one (sometimes two) almost every day for the last twenty odd years.......(and Judge Judy's my daily guilty pleasure!).
Congrats on 6 years Keith! That's awesome! That's quite an accomplishment! :)
ReplyDeleteI gave up biting my nails. I'm sure it's not anywhere near as hard as giving up smoking, but it's more difficult than one would think! The thing that makes me shake my head is that I never did until I decided wanted to be like someone who I admired who bit her nails. She gave up nail biting long before I did! But her habit was also much worse than mine.
Good for you, Keith! Awesome! :)
ReplyDeleteWell done! good for your health.
ReplyDeletesuch I glad you.
Congrats on this!!! Cigarettes were easy for me but carbs are another story... Totally serious. Food addiction is by far the hardest thing I've ever dealt with and this is coming from someone that was very wild before becoming a mom. I've literally quit ever vice cold turkey but for some reason I have issues with eating. Not like binge and purge but with self discipline.
ReplyDeleteOh..good Keith...smoking is worse...I've so many addictions...don't know where to start from :P
ReplyDeleteI quit in 1980. One of the hardest/best things I've ever done!
ReplyDeleteHey Keith! Congratulations on kicking the habit. My father died very young from emphysema. I was fortunate never to start smoking. My dad couldn't quit, and I watched my three sisters struggle to quit ~ which they finally did. I'm trying to lose weight by making better lifestyle choices. I'm battling my sweet tooth! Take care!
ReplyDeleteGreetings, human, Keith,
ReplyDeleteI never could understand why some humans would want to poison their lungs with such a thing. Addiction, I've been told by my human, can overwhelm your life. He also told me about choices.
Your catalyst was a sad yet poignant reason. My human nearly died in hospital from alcohol poisoning way back on June 18, 1998. He knew he had another chance, he saw the tears in the eyes of his nine year old son. My human hasn't drunk since.
A good weekend to you.
Pawsitive wishes,
Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar!
6 years sober, that's a very very big deal. I wonder how you could do it.
ReplyDeleteI cant find my way out of smoking, thousands of times I've tried, it makes me scared to death, looking at what happens as a consequence, but a part of me can't. A day without smoke feels like a day without air.
Congratulations! I've cut down a lot on chocolate, but that doesn't sound like such an achievement next to smoking :-)
ReplyDeleteThat is seriously SO AWESOME!!! What a huge accomplishment!! I recently stopped drinking diet soda/aspartame and even though it doesn't compare, it's been hard but I feel better about myself since stopping! Woo hoo, go celebrate! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing achievement, Keith. But such a sad catalyst...I really feel for you.
ReplyDeleteGiving up smoking is so difficult. I have never smoked myself, but have known many people who have, so I understand how hard it can be.
I am trying to cut down on my alcohol intake.
I don't drink a huge amount, but can sometimes overdo the social drinking. Goodness knows why I do it, because it always makes me ill. A bad habit I guess...:/
Congratulations to you! One thing I quit doing (and I know this isn't a very traditional response) was, as they call it, "running the rat race." I left my accounting degree to pursue a Master's in Library Science. That's my quitting story and boy has it brought me to wondrous places of doing things for me and not what is expected.
ReplyDeleteWell done on dumping the cancer sticks!
ReplyDeleteI think I need to stop having a single malt in the evenings - because it often become two!!
Thanks for the follow and such like - if and when you come to Australia remember its really big! Some people try to pack in way too much into a couple of weeks and end up just seeing the inside of coaches, planes and hotel rooms!
Cheers
Stewart M - Melbourne
Living with a stroke!
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you gave up smoking cigarettes.
Congratulations -- I think this was definitely a great thing for you. Isn't it funny how bad habits are often the ones that are hardest to give up. We KNOW they're bad for us and yet we struggle to just be done with them once and for all. For me, worrying is a habit that I'm in the process of permanently eliminating -- I thank God for all the progress I've made and am making in this area. I think not feeding a bad habit by indulging in it, is one of the best ways to kill it.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it has been 13 years since quitting. Cold Turkey after the doctor spooked me by saying I had the beginnings of emphysema. I think he said it just to scare me and it worked. Have a happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Keith! I'm hoping my sister-in-law can quit too.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Keith! I quit smoking years ago and empathize how hard that must have been for you. I still get cravings now and again. Although the hardest thing for me to give up has got to be sugar. I still haven't managed to kick that habit.
ReplyDeleteHardest habit for me to break is negative thinking. Congrats to you!
ReplyDeleteOh, congratulations! What a wonderful anniversary for you to remember - and I'm so happy you stuck with it, even after your first few attempts! I'm sure your mamaw is so proud of you! My hardest habits to break tend to be psychological - worrying, etc. Still a work in progress, but I'm getting there! :)
ReplyDeleteI've missed visiting your space but am happy to be catching up!
Hi Keith .. thank goodness that wasn't one of my vices - congratulations on stopping .. that's excellent news.
ReplyDeleteCheers Hilary
I used to be a smoker as well. I don't know what made me quit. It was a decision, one that took a few times to see through.
ReplyDeleteThe ongoing habit that I'm trying to get under control is taking things personally. : )
Congrats on quitting. That is truly something to be proud of! I know so many people that smoke and it makes me so sad. Especially when it's family and friends. My worse habit is caffeine. :( Gosh, I can't give up my coffee completely. I just love it too much.
ReplyDeleteGood for you my friend! Saw the hazards of smoking when I was little and in second grade convinced my mom to quit. Best thing for the family. Oh habits, they nag at you, so hard to start and harder to stop. I am in the (still long) process of breaking the habit of holding on. That initial reaction of "I must control". It will continue to take awhile, but its happening :).
ReplyDeleteSame...almost four years ago. Hardest thing I ever did, and that includes giving birth. Congratulations to you!
ReplyDeleteWell done. That is something to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteIt's good for you and good for the environment.
I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol; I don't take drugs. I joke that my only addition is literature, but, in reality, literature is a passion.
I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm afraid of that cause both my parents have been smoking all of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud of you you managed to quit!