I like the way you write, sir. And I'm sure you're just as proficient a reader, so you already know this stuff, but let me tell you again so I can get in the practice.
We post our promise first thing in the morning here. Some lollygaggers think it's ok to go about their day and grace us all with a status update before bed. Well what good does a promise to abstain from tobacco do you for the last couple hours of the day?
The thing I struggled with on day one was embracing becoming a man of integrity and a man of my word. I'd lied to my family and to myself for so long that I twisted it around so as to be a point of pride! How amazing and fun it was to fool everyone! I must be so clever! Only after a week or two into my quit did I appreciate what a burden the lying and sneaking had been! And life is so much more simple now. My marriage has never been stronger now that it's rid of this cancer (pun intended).
So it's simple around here:
1) Post your promise
2) Keep your promise
3) Repeat.
I'm really excited for you! The next few days especially are going to be a trial, but it only gets better after that. I'm only at day 41 and I can truly say that quitting tobacco has enriched my life immensely.
PM me as well if you need anything at all, or just want to chat.
I quit with you today, just today, one day at a time.
"...what a burden the lying and sneaking had been!" Thanks for sharing that Robb. That was exactly why I decided to quit. My daughter caught me dipping late one night when I thought everyone had gone to bed. I hid it as quickly as I could and then proceeded to lie to her face repeatedly when she questioned why I smelled like Wintergreen. I'm embarrassed to even admit it. Here was my wonderful child that I had devoted a large part of my life to ensure she got off to a great start...someone that I trust implicitly and would never lie to...and here I was undermining the relationship I had built over years and lying to her face.
For what?!? So she wouldn't see me chewing tobacco? So that I could keep killing myself without her knowing? WTF was this stuff doing to me? I realized if I kept it up, I wouldn't be around to see her grow up anyway.
And what message was I sending to my daughter? "It's okay to lie. It's okay to chew. It's okay to do something stupid as long as it makes you feel good today." When I think about the book my daughter will write in the future about "Papa's Favorite Sayings", those are not the lessons I want to be remembered for.
Ya, that was the breaking point. It makes you STUPID, plain and simple. I quit with you bro. Thank you.
PS: One of my own requirements before I joined KTC was that I had to come clean with my family first. No more lying. That was tough. I have no credibility with them now. I have to earn it back. But before I can do that, I need to stop chewing. The great news is that after all the lying, they are still behind me and encourage me to post every day. I can do this.
I posted my promise this morning. Day 2