Think about that....70 out of every 100 people who smoke wish they didn't, yet they go on smoking. Why? Because nicotine is an insidious addiction. It weaves its way into the fabric of our lives, attaching itself to every activity and every emotion we have, until we think that, without our cigarettes, we won't be able to function properly or enjoy life.
Making that decision to finally put down the cigarettes and call a halt to smoking is, for most people, the result of something dramatic - either an event or emotional angst. It's the final straw that makes us say "No More!"
Kerri, a moderator at the About.com Smoking Cessation Forum asked members to share what that final straw was for them by completing the sentence: I quit because...
Here are their answers. "I never wanted to have to tell my 2 boys that I had cancer." WonderWoman/Kerri
"After 47 years of smoking, I chose life and freedom over fear of failure." Blossom62/Betty
"My breathing got really bad." Dadmont/Gaylene
"I was afraid of living my last years/months attached to an oxygen tank, fighting for every breath." Annabanana/Anna
"I didn't like the look of fear in my children's eyes every time I lit up." Cathomas86/Christine
"I was diagnosed with smoking related Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and my breathing was bad." JillyAnderson/Jilly"I love my ten month old daughter and want to see her grow up and be able to lead her in the right direction in life." Antz06
"I watched my dad die...smoking still...dragging around that oxygen tank." Sue2006/Sue
"I nearly died, aged 43 years and 2 weeks old, from a stroke and brain hemorrhage on 21st June 2005." BrewSTAR/Paul
"I took a look at my gorgeous teen age son and realized that if I did not quit smoking I would not be around to see him grow up, get married, and have children of his own." CurlyBaggins/Patty
"My gums were starting to look horrible and I hate bad teeth!" KimLondon"The anxiety (fear) that I wouldn't quit in time got harder to live with than quitting was to do." AbQuitSmking/Terry
"I was really scared I would not be in time to save myself from some form of smoking related cancer." Luisa1958/Luisa
"I hate wrinkles and smoking causes more of them." LiAudra
"I want to be in control, not some cigarette." GrammaJamma/Jan
"I had a precancerous nodule on my vocal cords removed." PollyEliza/Polly"I like being able to breathe and don't want to end up in a hospital bed with lung cancer thinking that I could have done something to prevent it." Ab_StLouis/Richard
"I quit because I was so tired of being an addict. Just a waste of time, energy, health, money...on and on." WendysQuit/Wendy
"I couldn't even walk up 9 steps without wheezing and coughing." Stacie77
"I want to be the best me I can be and how could I do that while poisoning my body?" StarSadie/Cindy
How would you finish the sentence, "I quit because...."?Create your own list of reasons and carry it with you, adding to it as time goes by. Our reasons are as varied and unique as we are people, but they are all significant and powerful motivators.
If you haven't yet quit smoking, let the words on this page inspire you to make cessation a reality in your life too. We all have the ability to quit smoking successfully, and we all deserve a life that is free of addiction. Honor yours by thinking about your reasons and making your quit program the number one priority in your life. You'll never regret the decision to quit smoking.
Choose life!
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