Glad to be here

[kybo]

A big win! Scrolling through the medical form when I got to the part regarding nicotine usage - I got to write "oh hell no!"

A big win, indeed! I got to experience the same thing a few weeks ago. It made me feel ten feet tall and it put an ear to ear smile on my face! Celebrating the "little things" like getting the thermostat set just right on the fridge in the barn to get the perfect coldness of beer every time, or being able to honestly check the "no" box next to the tobacco question for the first time in 35 years. They might be little things to most people, but those are both big wins in my book.

Congratulations!

[Athan]

A big win! Scrolling through the medical form when I got to the part regarding nicotine usage - I got to write "oh hell no!"

[Athan]

From Worktowin on 2,000:
"2,000 days. Wow. I remember seeing day counts like this and thinking... no fucking way dude. I don't believe it. Not possible. Well, it is possible. It really isn't even that hard after you push through the start and learn how this place works. Make connections. Make friends. Build a network. POST ROLL EVERY DAY. No exceptions. HONOR YOUR WORD. Quit as a team. Brotherhood + Accountability."

[Athan]

From Eric71, reflections on 6 years:
"...Time and opportunity will not pause to wait on us to get our shit in order. The world is not that patient. Don't be hesitant in your quit. Don't be passive in your endeavors. Don't let your fire burn out. This is your here and now, every day, every moment, we have the chance to make life better for ourselves and those we allow in our world. Do we want to look back and wish for time long since past, or do we want to remember the instances we chose to show our fire, passion, and love for our life? "

[Doofus]

The longer I live the more I focus on things I can control, ignoring things I cannot control

[wildirish317]

^ I would add to this - Gratitude.

Be grateful, when you wake in the morning, for the air you breathe as you take that first breath.
Be grateful, for the person who lies next to you, if there is one, for they choose to be with you to start this day.
Be grateful, for the place that anticipates you to come and help solve their problems and help them thrive as a business.
Be grateful, for your chance to live this life in your body.
And, most of all, be grateful, for the freedom from the grasp of nicotine, from which you escaped, with the help of KTC.

[Athan]

From 30 yr Addict:

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes." - Chuck Swindoll

[Athan]

From my friend Voldex, a ballad about....me!
There once was a lad by the name of Athan.
He strut 'round the town boasting of glory,
Stories of battle and killing with no hesitation.
The enemies lived to tell no story.

Years went by, Athan found no match
Twas as if his power knew no bounds!
Word got 'round that there was a catch
Athan only had might when his mistress was around

This mistress, a sorceress was she
gripping Athan with her cold death grasp
Struggled he did, but bound was he
To this sorceress with iron clad clasp

Hopeless it seemed to Athan to break free
till through the window he caught glimpse of some hope
The lads of KTC marching together did he see!
Together they put the bitch down, no longer must they cope!

[Athan]

From ThegreatwhiteF250 HOF speech (got goosebumps reading it!):

"...We just have to embrace the mental hell that is withdrawal and choke it the fuck out, gouge out the eyes of that nic bitch and hope one day she can no longer see us."

[Athan]

Today is one of those days where I wish I was a ditch digger. Just me and a shovel mindlessly making progress. The very man tasking me with digging my ditch not actively working against me with corporate protocols, procedures, checklists, etc etc. today I wish I was just a ditch digger.
Then again, They prolly don't have a dental plan.

[Athan]

From Goody 5/20/18 on freedom:

We where booking in fisherman yesterday when I saw someone who has been fishing here for over 30 years. He had a mouth full of leaf in and saw I had a can of fake. He asked me if I quit and with shouldered back and head high I said your dam right I quit. He told me he could not quit the snuff but could quit the leaf when ever be wanted. I thought that used to be me. The words of an addict. He asked if it was hard to quit I said yes. But he new that. I told him of the KTC site. Didn't really want to hear it. I felt bad for him but God dam proud of myself. I will never be that person again. Just something interesting to pass on. It was nice to see the work was paying off in me brain to be around others chewing and it was OK. Now let's go fishing.

[Athan]

Early in the quit, I had trouble falling asleep. Had quite a few sleepless nights even, you know where you never quite reach that state of sleep but toss and turn and get pissed off because you can't sleep which in turn impedes actually falling asleep and you turn into a zombie and contemplate eating brains. Was reading Kybo's intro recently about the evening chew with a good book; it's was something I indulged in ritually. I probably read two to three books a month (mostly history, religion, politics, and economics. I don't have time for fiction). The lady at the library knew my name. Haven't been there since I quit. I don't toss and turn to fall asleep anymore either. I'm out within 5 minutes of my head hitting the pillow. But I'm up a lot earlier now though. 0200 today. That's all she wrote, my eyes failed open. So I get up and post roll in all of my groups and head out to the gym (squats this morning w/Mack213 - we've exchanges work out tracks!). I'll prolly be tired at 7pm this evening and be sound asleep by 8pm tonight. I'm still getting a solid 6 hours of sleep a night, my clock has just shifted. Just wanted to share with guys who maybe struggling with sleep issues. I still do benedryl but am looking to wean off of that soon. I'm 135 days free today and loving it.

[Doofus]

From Scooners, June 27, 2011:

What nicotine can't do:

It cannot cripple love; it cannot shatter hope; it cannot disolve faith; it cannot destroy peace; it cannot kill friendships; it cannot suppress memories; it cannot silence courage; it cannot invade the soul; it cannot steal eternal life; it cannot conquer the spirit - IF YOU ARE QUIT.


Good night quitters, see ya in the morning.

Good one, thanks for that

[Athan]

From Scooners, June 27, 2011:

What nicotine can't do:

It cannot cripple love; it cannot shatter hope; it cannot disolve faith; it cannot destroy peace; it cannot kill friendships; it cannot suppress memories; it cannot silence courage; it cannot invade the soul; it cannot steal eternal life; it cannot conquer the spirit - IF YOU ARE QUIT.


Good night quitters, see ya in the morning.

[Athan]

From BubbaM (a righteous brother, nay WARRIOR of quit):

...When this is happening I am functioning out of the butt of my brain or the brain stem. This is the brains fight or flight area or mode. In order to get out of this mode or area of the brain you need to access your relationships. That is by either talking to someone face to face, relating to someone on the phone, looking at pictures on your phone of family. If you do this then you will stop functioning out of the butt of the brain and you will move your thought process up to the top of the brain. Your relationship area.....

Now I have something useful to say to someone instead of, "...quit obsessing about it!"