Quitting a habit

[two_bit_score]

I’ve dropped some bad habits. It wasn’t easy.

Best way I found to drop bad habits is to take up good habits to replace them. For me that usually means taking on new responsibilities requiring focus and determination.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

bragging on the internet about being a big tough guy is a habit worth quitting.
Anyone who smoked or dipped long term and ”quit 20 years ago”, isn’t necessarily out of the woods. Guy I worked for quit smoking in 1990 and got lung cancer in 2014.
A buddy of mine owns a roofing busines- roofs everything I build. Told me his dad chewed tobacco for decades, finally quit and about 10 years later had part of his jaw removed-full of cancer. He was lucky to live.

There's no guarantees. We had an Adventist neighbor, vegetarian and never smoked. She died of lung cancer.

 

[Frankenkubota]

I smoked for years. Quit 40 years ago.

Anybody remember a movie where people would go to a camp or retreat to quit smoking?

They were serious about the no smoking rules. I don't remember any details but one of the last scenes shows some gal who must have broke the rules, she was missing a finger.

If the negativity doesn't come immediately it's easy to put it off.

 

[Hay Dude]

There's no guarantees. We had an Adventist neighbor, vegetarian and never smoked. She died of lung cancer.

It almost seems unfair, doesn’t it? My mom died from cancer at 76 and lived a very healthy life.

 

[two_bit_score]

It almost seems unfair, doesn’t it? My mom died from cancer at 76 and lived a very healthy life.

Was her case an outlier or does it tend to run in the family?

I read an obituary of a high school classmate who just passed at 66. It didn’t say what killed her but I recall her Dad and Mom both passed at about the same age although she died younger than both of them. Looking back, her younger sister was the only one in that family who ever appeared healthy.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

There's all sorts of "ifs" "and" or "buts" you can point to, but the bottom line is you are better off never using tobacco and if you do use it, you are better off quitting. Your chances of getting lung cancer are reduced over time...what's wrong with that? However, lung damage can still result in emphysema or COPD. It's also been my observation that heavy smoking is associated in a lot of cases with heavy alcohol use.

Lost my BIL at age 51; alcohol and cigarettes...my best friend at age 78...heavy cigarette smoker; Sister IL at age 66, alcohol and cigarettes, brother at age 70, heavy cigarette smoker...all cigarette related. On the other hand, my mother died of pancreatic cancer at age 61; she did not smoke and rarely ever drank liquor. My Dad smoked cigarettes for nearly 50 years; died of CHF at age 90.

Besides...its stinky!

 

[two_bit_score]

The stench of smoking is probably the best reason to quit.

 

[MossRoad]

The stench of smoking is probably the best reason to quit.

Most smokers don't notice the smell on themselves. However, when you talk to a past smoker, most will tell you that they can now smell it and didn't realize how strong it was while they were a smoker.

 

[drssg]

I had an old horseback riding instructor who said, "It is more important that you want to do something than it is to achieve it." I don't think that applies to everything. I wouldn't want my surgeon to have that attitude.

OTOH, victory is fleeting. For non-critical self-actualization tasks, it really is about the journey.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The stench of smoking is probably the best reason to quit.

When I was a pipe smoker I smoked a mild Cavendish. I got continual comments on how wonderful it smelled.