You’ve said it before, I’m quitting smoking this year.
But, then you didn’t. You couldn’t. You just . . .
It’s freaking hard!
I read this article in Oprah Magazine by Stephanie Losee, titled The Willpower Myth. It was based on a book Change or Die: The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life.
Change or Die.
When you’re a smoker those are literally your choices. You can change and become a non-smoker if you want to live. Or you can choose to keep smoking and live with the consequences: emphysema, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, severely damaging your children. . . oh the list …read more

Focusing on what is right about yourself, versus what is wrong, is the mark of a healthy individual, states a sign at my old gym. 
There are about 2 weeks left in 2007 and before you go making resolutions for 2008 (looking at what is wrong and what still needs changing), how about a little self-praise about 2007?
It’s been one of the Best Year Ever for me. Extra-ordinarily productive.

I quit smoking with Chantix.
I started writing again.
I started So Sioux Me to inspire mothers to empower their daughters.
I took over Blog Fabulous and tripled the page views.  
I helped literally thousands of smokers to quit smoking.
I started …read more

I am super-proud of myself for quitting smoking this year.
About 10 years ago I was teaching English at a Lithuanian Teachers University. My students were all studying to be English teachers.
One day I showed up to class and they pulled out a newspaper. There I was right on the front page, above the fold, a big ugly picture of me smoking.
It was considered unseemly and improper for women to be smoking on the street. Women smoked, but it was appropriate for them to smoke in a park, in a restaurant or coffee house or at home. 
Of course, I smoked on the street all …read more

Hanging out with one of my saner friends, Jen - you might know her from the Blogosphere – I confessed to buying a new gym outfit.
 Since losing weight I’ve resisted wasting money on clothes I’m going to wear for a few months until I lose more. Especially on work out clothes. It seems like the least important place to spend any money.
I took a group class this week, not my regular peaceful yoga where everyone is made to feel good about who they are – but the other kind. The kind where everyone is wearing about $200 worth of work out …read more

I took the smoking cessation pill Chantix and posted about it in May on Blog Fabulous.
 I’m nearing my 700th post on that one blog entry. It’s becoming difficult to scroll down and load up and more and more people are quitting smoking and wanting to share their stories. It’s taking a great deal of time for me to respond to comments.
What do you do when success is nipping at your heals? Well, what I did do is build a new website called . . .
Quit Coping 
Quit coping with smoking. Quit smoking to cope. Cope with your quit.
Chantix is a great …read more

A week ago I started taking a new smoking cessation pill called Chantix. I had heard of quite a few people who have actually quit smoking by using this new wonder drug. I had also heard it causes night terrors, but that seems a small price to pay considering that if I do not stop my life might end with the nightmarish reality of dragging an oxygen tank around everywhere I go.
My true motivation is that someone told my daughter that I will die if I smoke. While true, I think this was totally inappropriate and I feel a little bit of …read more