It was August 18th 2010, a date which remained embedded in my memory because it marked a very significant moment for me: it was the day in which I smoked my last cigarette up to now and hopefully forever. I remember it clearly because it was a hot summer day and in spite of that I had a cold. When I looked at my cigarette pack and saw that I still had one left, I said to myself : if I have caught a cold in the midst of summer, aren’t cigarettes one of the causes for which my immune
system was weakened? Isn’t it time to think more carefully about my health and also my budget and get rid of that poison forever?Those thoughts occupied my mind while I was smoking my last cigarette; however, I felt the determination grow inside after finishing it; the idea of finally giving up a bad habit that had dominated me for more than 15 years gave me a state of enthusiasm I hadn’t felt for a very long time. I knew there were a few people who had successfully quit smoking without any use of e-cigarette or other methods;I said to myself : If they could do it by will and determination only, why shouldn’t I do it too? They’re no better than me and I will
prove it to them!And I did it; although some people thought I wouldn’t resist the temptation of starting again after being used to smoke almost a pack a day for many years, I proved them wrong and I also proved to myself that wherever there is will, there’s also power. Sadly, some of my friends who had quit before me started smoking again ever since, but it’s their choice and I respect it. As for me, I’ve turned from a passionate smoker into a person who dislikes the smell of cigarettes, and whenever I hear about someone who is going to try to quit smoking, I encourage that person to go ahead and do it.
It may be hard at the beginning, but once you’ve passed the initial critical stages when you feel that you can’t resist without smoking, you will definitely feel better. That’s how I felt once I realized I had defeated my addiction, and that’s why that August day will always represent in a way the symbol of a rebirth, of setting myself free from a vice that sadly still holds captive millions of people worldwide!
