Leave the Negative Behind
Leave it in 2017
Okay, this is kind of a big one for me. I had a lot of bad habits. Habits that were put into me by my upbringing, by society, by lack of knowledge, by ignorance, etc.
I remember being a teen, my dad was a smoker, smoked around us all of the time and didn't see an issue with it. If we were being raised by him in today's society, they would hang him. So naturally, I picked up the habit around age 14 or 15. Definitely 9th grade. Sneaking off to smoke cigarettes, smoke before and after school...ya know...typical teenage stuff. Well, that followed me into my adulthood and eventually started causing some negative health effects. Just hacking every morning and all of the lovely stuff that comes with poisoning our lungs for "fun" on a daily basis. I had always wanted to quit but could never quite get there.
I was reading reddit one day and I came across an article about e-cigarettes. Everyone in the comments was going on and on about how they saved their life. They quit within a week, some overnight. So I figured, "What the heck? I will try it out, nothing to lose here but some money." So I purchased a Volcano e-cig. At this point it was a cigarette look alike device...the end lit up when you puffed on it and it had refillable cartridges. It was a mess, but I liked it. I took it and a half pack of Camel blues bowling. When we finished bowling we would go to the bar for some beers and usually smoked half pack or so of cigarettes. I tried out my e-cigarette and I loved it...I liked it better than smoking. I tossed out my half pack of Camels and never looked back. Today I am totally nicotine free...and it wasn't that hard. I also inspired many other people to switch and some to eventually quit. That is something I am proud of...not so much that I did it, but that I helped save others as well. I believe that is what we are here on this earth to do...make it and its inhabitants better.
The next blog entry will talk on my next struggle, obesity....BUT
I also want to speak on removing the negative people in your life. Take a real good look at yourself. Are you happy? If not, take a real good look at the closest 5 people in your life. What are they doing? Are they happy? Do they posses habits that you want to have? This is just a matter of fact...you are the sum of the 5 people you hang around most. Peas in a pod, birds of a feather, etc etc etc. If you are not happy with yourself...you had best change. That means doing some cutting. In my life...I cut a lot of people out of it. These negative people will drag you into their hole and keep you there. Crab bucket mentality. It is dangerous.
At one point I finally said to myself..."What am I willing to do to save my own life?" Because I was headed somewhere I really didn't want to be. So I removed everything and everyone...and got back to my core being...held to my values and what I knew to be true as a person. It's hard. It's so hard...to ostracize yourself. To be alone. I would go to work, go to dinner, go home and go inward.
I had to start rebuilding from scratch. It has been quite the journey...and this blog might be kind of all over the place at times...but it will all come together.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Okay, this is kind of a big one for me. I had a lot of bad habits. Habits that were put into me by my upbringing, by society, by lack of knowledge, by ignorance, etc.
I remember being a teen, my dad was a smoker, smoked around us all of the time and didn't see an issue with it. If we were being raised by him in today's society, they would hang him. So naturally, I picked up the habit around age 14 or 15. Definitely 9th grade. Sneaking off to smoke cigarettes, smoke before and after school...ya know...typical teenage stuff. Well, that followed me into my adulthood and eventually started causing some negative health effects. Just hacking every morning and all of the lovely stuff that comes with poisoning our lungs for "fun" on a daily basis. I had always wanted to quit but could never quite get there.
I was reading reddit one day and I came across an article about e-cigarettes. Everyone in the comments was going on and on about how they saved their life. They quit within a week, some overnight. So I figured, "What the heck? I will try it out, nothing to lose here but some money." So I purchased a Volcano e-cig. At this point it was a cigarette look alike device...the end lit up when you puffed on it and it had refillable cartridges. It was a mess, but I liked it. I took it and a half pack of Camel blues bowling. When we finished bowling we would go to the bar for some beers and usually smoked half pack or so of cigarettes. I tried out my e-cigarette and I loved it...I liked it better than smoking. I tossed out my half pack of Camels and never looked back. Today I am totally nicotine free...and it wasn't that hard. I also inspired many other people to switch and some to eventually quit. That is something I am proud of...not so much that I did it, but that I helped save others as well. I believe that is what we are here on this earth to do...make it and its inhabitants better.
The next blog entry will talk on my next struggle, obesity....BUT
I also want to speak on removing the negative people in your life. Take a real good look at yourself. Are you happy? If not, take a real good look at the closest 5 people in your life. What are they doing? Are they happy? Do they posses habits that you want to have? This is just a matter of fact...you are the sum of the 5 people you hang around most. Peas in a pod, birds of a feather, etc etc etc. If you are not happy with yourself...you had best change. That means doing some cutting. In my life...I cut a lot of people out of it. These negative people will drag you into their hole and keep you there. Crab bucket mentality. It is dangerous.
At one point I finally said to myself..."What am I willing to do to save my own life?" Because I was headed somewhere I really didn't want to be. So I removed everything and everyone...and got back to my core being...held to my values and what I knew to be true as a person. It's hard. It's so hard...to ostracize yourself. To be alone. I would go to work, go to dinner, go home and go inward.
I had to start rebuilding from scratch. It has been quite the journey...and this blog might be kind of all over the place at times...but it will all come together.
Thank you for your time and attention.
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