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From a post early on in this string:

The fact is each and everyone here has quit on his or her own. Yes you may have done it at the same time as a bunch of other people and you did it with a lot of information and support. But that still does not minimize the fact that you were the one to succeed in your quit.

Freedom did not quit for you. We did not take away your withdrawals; I think most of you will attest to this. We didn't throw away your cigarettes. We didn't end your physical craves and we didn't permanently stop thoughts and triggers from occurring either. All we did was explain how to quit, how to stay off, showed you through countless examples how other previous members continue to survive through life's travails, and pointed kept reinforcing the concept that quitting is worth the effort. But even with all this that Freedom does, you are still the one who quit and you should never minimize that fact.

To put it another way, if anyone here goes back to smoking, we will not take the blame or the responsibility. The only reason a person goes back is "they" took the puff, they relapsed, and it is their fault. So if we can't take the blame for a person's failure, then on the same token we can't take the credit for a person's success.

So nobody here should ever minimize what role he or she played in his or her own quit. What Freedom has given you was understanding of how to quit and how you were always capable of living smoke free. What you can give back is the same. For people who have grown beyond the need for daily contact or maybe even weekly, they should know that an occasional drop by to just say how things are going in the normal times can help newbies never knowing what life is going to be like.

But this understanding and insight is not only something you can use only at Freedom. You can use it in your every day life too. You will encounter people, maybe family, maybe friends, maybe customers who randomly offer up the fact that they are quitting smoking but don't understand nicotine as an addiction. Well there is something each and every one of you can do. Reinforce the concept that it can be done. Reinforce that it is an addiction and one puff and they likely will lose it. Share with them knowledge. If they make it you will feel good. You helped. You didn't quit for them, you will not have taken away their withdrawals, but you will have given them a little information and a little support.

Well a little information and a little support can go a long way. We are always glad to get it, and I think you will find you will always feel a little satisfaction to give it too. If the person doesn't quit, it is not by what you said. If they do quit, it is not by what you told them either, it is what they heard and how they processed it. But at least they heard it and had a better chance at making the choice to stay smoke free.

So congratulations everyone for having quit smoking. You pulled of a difficult feat. You took control of a substance that controlled you and if left to its own devices would have killed you. We were glad to be there to witness your success. But never lose sight that it was in deed your success, your effort and you are and always will be the ultimate winner for your efforts. To stay a winner always remember that all that it will entail for you to stay smoke free is for you to never take another puff!

Joel

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