I have been reading the Blogs and was inspired, affected, but not into action. Until I faced a serious health issue which required waiting, worrying and testing. During the period of waiting, I was very introspective and visualized hearing bad news and then went on to visualize what it might be like to cope with that kind of news. I continued to think really hard and long about the choices I'd made by smoking and what I was potentially facing.

I still had not made a conscious effort to stop and came back to a blog where I came across someone who said anyone who inhales smoke willingly and repeatedly is either insane or ignorant.

This offended my sensibilities - I was neither insane or ignorant. I was thinking. Scared, but thinking.

And then, I came back to the coming test I faced and the potential bad news. I reasoned that this was the time in my life that I had to stand up and take charge. I had to leave all of the excuses behind. If I did not, I thought, I really must be insane or ignorant.

I stopped smoking right after those thoughts and have been smoke free for 5 weeks. I am an ex-smoker. I am so empowered, finally. I feel great.

A blog had a lot to do with it.

I hope my words may be a catalyst to the kind of maturity, responsibility, intelligence and sanity it takes to step up to the plate, to take charge. I'm not looking back on my foolishness, just staying in the here and now of feeling great.

To all well meaning but insultful friends, family or others - you cannot nag someone into smoke cessation. Try kindness and tolerance.

Leave it to the smoker to call himself a fool, insane or ignorant. This is painful enough!