Day 56: June 8, 2007, and Today's TIP

Yes, I'm still Nicotine FREE and TODAY I have reached one of my major milestones. Today marks the day that I quit smoking for 2 months (8 weeks). It's a great day for a celebration.

A friend of mine, who I haven't seen for over 3 months, stopped by to visit last night. The last time this person saw me, I was still smoking. It also just so happens that this person used to smoke cigarettes many years ago as well and has been nicotine free for many years.

Although we caught up on many other things, we did talk about the method of quitting. Like me, he also quit cold turkey. He said it was really the only way that worked. Just make up your mind and move on. He said it was really all in the mind and overcoming the psychological aspects of quitting was the biggest challenge.

He confirmed that you just do whatever works for you to get through the cravings, one moment at a time, one craving at a time. This is consistent with my Nicotine QUENCH Plan. Design your own plan to satisfy your cravings.

Today's TIP - One craving at a time.

My father smoked three packs of cigarettes a day and quit cold turkey. Oddly enough my father credits me for convincing him to quit. Believe it or not, way back when I was a teenager and won second place in a public speaking contest. Can you guess what the topic was? - SMOKING - It was enough to convince my dad to quit and maybe a few others.

I doubt the cravings will ever go away completely. Many people I've talked to suggest they still get that desire to smoke every once in a while. Even after years of being smoke free, the mind still has the "memory". EVERYONE I have talked to has developed a distaste for cigarettes and that, of course, makes it easier to resist any temptation no matter how big or small.