Who will cheer us on because we quit smoking?

A few months ago someone made a comment about me to someone in our local community saying that I'm smoking 40 cigarettes a day and blowing my head off. The comment was meant to be funny but when I found out that this was being said I felt a bit angry and hurt. I thought to myself "Is that the only good thing they have to say about me?" I guess that is the impression I was giving everyone!

Funny thing is , I called the guy who said these things a few days into my quit and told him that I've given up smoking cold turkey. He seemed surprised for me and he gave me a warning. He told me not to quit cold turkey but to do it gradually.

Of course, I am angry and stubborn so what he said actually helped me to stick with the cold turkey method just to prove a point. I've not contacted him about the smoking since and I think I will wait for the next time (could be a few months) when we meet again. I hope and pray that one day at a time I'll be ready to present myself to him as a non smoker.

Some people say that we are doing this only for ourselves. I believe there is some wisdom in that but I also believe that sometimes we need to borrow each other's strength and kinda make ourselves accountable to each other in some way.I'm telling lots of people I meet in life that I've quit smoking. I know that most of them are not going to cheer me on. Maybe in the future I won't need cheering as much but now I need a pat on the back for quitting and if no-one is going to do it I will do it to myself by rewarding myself now and again.

I think that quitting smoking is a huge thing for heavily addicted smokers. When we finally decide to quit, its like the world has ended for us or the beginning of the Olympics depending on who we view it. To the unknowing person who has never been seriously addicted to anything ,the thoughts in their minds are probably "Huh? So what!" and "Whats the big deal? Just quit and get on with your life!" But, for me thats such a let down. Its a big event to quit smoking and stay off nicotene for enough days for it to leave my body. Then there is the discovery of how I've been brainwashed into smoking and the unlearning process. All these things are discoveries for me and I want to share them with others, just like I want you to share yours with me. I want to cheer people on and be cheered on. I think that the most likely place for this to happen is in this quit smoking community!