Glad to be here

[Athan]

Broccoli-saurus on accountability (2-11-20 from May '20):
An accountability partner is able to perceive what you can't see when blind spots and weaknesses block your vision. Such a person serves a a tool in God's hand to promote spirtual growth, and he or she watches out for your best interest. Charles Stanley

Blaming, whining, deflecting accountability, risk aversion, and resistance to change are but a handful of symptoms of the adversity-beaten individual and organization. Paul G. Stoltz PhD,

Neither age nor experience matters when it comes to being personally accountable for any and all outcomes- no excuses whatsoever- be they positive or negative, nor shifting blame to other people or to external factors. Kory Livingstone

Creating a culture of integrity and accountability not only improves effectiveness, it also generates a respectful, enjoyable and life-giving setting in which to work. Tom Hanson, Ph.D.; Birgit Zacher Hanson, M.S.

The benefits and possibilities that are created created by being personally accountable are countless. Jay Fiset

Accountability, is the state or condition of being accountable or responsible. That is right. We are responsible for what goes on in our heads. John Vaulkner

Jesus understood the value of relationships, teamwork, and accountability. Effective ministry often erupts from small teams. Beth Beutler

Be accountable for doing the right things. This means ethical execution of the activities that will actually support the goals you have chosen for yourself. Sam Silverstein

People are more inclined to pass the buck than they are to take responsibility. The fact is, though, passing the buck doesn't build your character or give you the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Marshall Goldsmith

Accountability is - first and foremost - about being reliable. To get a good picture of your personal accountability, you may want to periodically ask yourself, "Can people count on me to do what I say I'll do, as I said I would do it?" Henry J. Evans

Or if you want to get really real, this should be enough inspiration for you:
http://caringbridgeclassic.org/mn/tomkern/history.htm

Many thanks to Broc for sharing these. This comes up in every new month without fail. The new foggy quitter cannot understand the hard line (myself included) taken by the mods/admins/vets. In the final analyses, no one wants to hear that their baby is ugly but burying ones head in the sand doesn't open up any new vistas. Quite the contrary. The ability to extract from dialogue valuable feedback and apply it to ones own life is a game changer. There cannot be growth, personally, professionally, spiritually etc. without the ability for honest introspection. For addicts, the difference really is life or death. As human beings, you need only look around you to see people stuck in a rut their entire life, 'victims' of circumstances. The difference isn't a subtle nuance or small change; the realization that you really are in charge of your life and your responses to stimuli whatever they may be. The difference is that of a log floating aimlessly down a river and a cabin constructed of logs in a pristine spot of one's choosing that commands a view of the valley. Nicotine/substance abuse is but a symptom. Addiction is the behavior. Personal accountability is the cure.
I marvel that a concept so simple is so difficult to convey, so hard to be grasped and understood. Perhaps it must first be lived.

[olcpo]

Started back on shift for the first time in 5 years. The third night in with but 12 hours sleep since I started when I hit the wall. There's no doubt in my mind that I'd have succumbed to "just one" were it not for my brothers in quit. No question at all. It was on the table in front of me in six different locations in 5 different flavors, all there for the taking. It wasn't so much an urge to chew as it was to do something, anything, to chase the fog from lack of sleep from my mind. Never cured is right. ODAAT is right. Never Again For Any Reason. Skol, Gromo, Worktowin, S412 - indebted to you.

Way to Go, BROTHER!! Stare'em down, Laugh in their face, Then walk the Walk of the Quit, Head high, not looking back! PTQWYT

[Athan]

Started back on shift for the first time in 5 years. The third night in with but 12 hours sleep since I started when I hit the wall. There's no doubt in my mind that I'd have succumbed to "just one" were it not for my brothers in quit. No question at all. It was on the table in front of me in six different locations in 5 different flavors, all there for the taking. It wasn't so much an urge to chew as it was to do something, anything, to chase the fog from lack of sleep from my mind. Never cured is right. ODAAT is right. Never Again For Any Reason. Skol, Gromo, Worktowin, S412 - indebted to you.

[Athan]

From @Docpac in April '20:

 "If it does not serve you, it does not deserve to hold space in your life."

Love that one.  The slavery and servitude of addiction had that flipped 180 degrees.

[Athan]

From @BURGER78 HOF Speech:
You can throw your hands up
You can beat the clock
You can move a mountain
You can break rocks
You can be a master
Don't wait for luck
Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself
Standing in the hall of fame

[Athan]

From @koba (August 2018). Been looking for this for a while in the archives and finally found it:

"It takes a lot of quit for your brain to get its shit together. This STUDY surveyed people who had quit smoking, and re-interviewed them a year or two later to see how they are doing. For people who had been quit less than 3 months at the time of the first interview, only ~ 18% were still quit (without having caved in the meantime). Once they looked at people who had been quit for 3-6 months (note that 3 months is pretty damn close to 100 days, ie., HOF here) the chances of them not having caved went up to 50%. It's not until you get to the people that had already been quit for 3+ years that the chances of staying nic-free until the next interview passed 90%. So if you think you don't need this place anymore after 20 days, or 100 days, or 365 days, well... the science disagrees."

[Athan]

Lost one of my horses yesterday.  He was old, way old as horses go and had been moving a lot slower as of late.  Yesterday he gave up the ghost. I went and rented one of those mini excavators as my tractor doesn’t have a bucket (you can’t just flush them down the toilet like you do goldfish). I dug a deep hole then me and my girls dragged Ol’ Chester off into it. We filled it back up and there to my surprise, his back hooves were just above grade, jutting up above the dirt. I know it’s not funny but I sat there laughing at it, the indignity of it all. This would have been a whole can job not so long ago, if I’d have stopped posting roll past the HOF. This was an excellent excuse if ever there was one. Not now. Not today. Not for any reason. No horsing around with nicotine addiction.  And if you got any ideas for a funny meme for the pic of two hooves sticking up out of the ground, well, go ahead and lets hear ‘em!

I'm the only male in my household so I am, by default, the head guy around here.  It just hit me, I'm the horseless head man.

[Athan]

Lost one of my horses yesterday.  He was old, way old as horses go and had been moving a lot slower as of late.  Yesterday he gave up the ghost. I went and rented one of those mini excavators as my tractor doesn’t have a bucket (you can’t just flush them down the toilet like you do goldfish). I dug a deep hole then me and my girls dragged Ol’ Chester off into it. We filled it back up and there to my surprise, his back hooves were just above grade, jutting up above the dirt. I know it’s not funny but I sat there laughing at it, the indignity of it all. This would have been a whole can job not so long ago, if I’d have stopped posting roll past the HOF. This was an excellent excuse if ever there was one. Not now. Not today. Not for any reason. No horsing around with nicotine addiction.  And if you got any ideas for a funny meme for the pic of two hooves sticking up out of the ground, well, go ahead and lets hear ‘em!

[Athan]

A 17 hour day.  New gig coordinating testing for the startup of a power station.  I got tight a few times but crunching cinnamon sticks still does it for me. Couldn’t wait to get home and see my ladies.  It’s raining pretty hard, has been all day. Up ahead I see tail lights and they’re not on the road – they’re in the ditch. I groan and let out a sigh as I pass the dude and decide to pull over. There ain’t much shoulder to begin with and traffic is light but far from not a factor. He’s down in there – water up to the door sill. It’s an old battered sedan and the driver is doing the back and forth futility dance going deeper into the muck and mire. I had a logging chain and a tow strap and offered to pull him out.  He agreed and waded to the front of the car to attach it.  I swear I thought we were going to have to call in divers. He got it hooked up and I pulled forward when another good ol boy showed up and stopped traffic while I pulled him to a higher elevation. It wasn’t going well. I was getting forward progress but the guy was just sliding along down in this ditch. I needed to go hard left ACROSS traffic. So another good ol boy stopped his truck and got out and stopped the cross traffic lane. By now cars were starting to back up – we were ten minutes into the ordeal. But going cross traffic was the ticket and he popped up outa the ditch and stable along the shoulder and my good ol boy strangers let traffic resume. I was unhooking the tow strap and chain and this fella is beside himself. He offers me 5 dollars, says it’s all he has. I was looking at his bedraggled appearance and his old battered car and wondered how he was going to celebrate Christmas.   At least he won’t have to pay a wrecker an exorbitant fee for pulling him outa the ditch. I sent him on his way and waited my turn to pull into the traffic. The second good ol boy who had stopped traffic coming the other way rolled down his window as he drove off – “Merry Christmas!!” he hollered.  Made me feel like Santa Claus!

[Athan]

BluManChew on FREEDOM
~~It used to be that my eyes would pop open first thing, and I'd be gasping for a dip, as I if had surfaced from the water after having gone deeper than my lung capacity would allow.

That dip is the breath that keeps the addict alive.  The addict "needs" it otherwise it suffocates.  It feels the same fear I would if I knew I were drowning.

While still an addict, it literally had been years since I stuffed tobacco into my face

Now, instead of breathing in Poison first thing, I breath In clean air, and freedom from dip.  With that freedom comes life, and with life opportunity.

Stay quit, fuckers.  Keep your heads above the water.

790 ODAAT - 12/06/19 ~~

[worktowin]

@Athan Please brother do not ever go anywhere.   I would be freaking lost without your insight and wisdom!  From the first week of getting buried in information following your signature to day 63 soaking up insight on your quit attitude.  Thank you for being here.

Not going anywhere brother. Life is much sweeter shared!

This is absolutely awesome, and is a testament to why this place works when nothing else does.  We win together here.

[Athan]

@Athan Please brother do not ever go anywhere.   I would be freaking lost without your insight and wisdom!  From the first week of getting buried in information following your signature to day 63 soaking up insight on your quit attitude.  Thank you for being here.

Not going anywhere brother. Life is much sweeter shared!

[jsjohnson]

@Athan Please brother do not ever go anywhere.   I would be freaking lost without your insight and wisdom!  From the first week of getting buried in information following your signature to day 63 soaking up insight on your quit attitude.  Thank you for being here. 

[oldschool]

Seven hundy ya big stud.

Lucky you are not is AZ today or you would be showered with my affection until ya choke.

Proud to be one day behind, forever, one day at a time.

Ok love you bye!!!

Skol, you're such a doosh, I can't believe I quit with you!
LUQITSOILYB!

Huge congrats Athan on that big 7!!

Congrats Athan on 7 floors of quit!

[kybo]

Congrats on 700, brother! 

And thank you for helping to keep KTC interesting/entertaining for the rest of us.