During my journey to quit smoking, I feel myself changing and evolving into a “non-smoker.” It is beginning to have a nice ring to it, as I think of all of the ways that being a non-smoker will have a positive effect on my life. As I go through this process I am going to make a list of the good changes that ensue as a result of not smoking. This will remind me of all of the ways that my life is changing for the good and help me to never want to look back, even during weak moments.

For instance, I will truly smell good. I will smell like the soap and the lotion that I’ve used that day or the peanut butter that I smeared onto a piece of bread. I will reclaim the scents of my life. No longer will every smell that I come into contact with be muted by the smell of cigarette smoke.

I will not have to go outside into the freezing cold weather to get my fix when I am in smoke-free environments.

When I kiss my boyfriend, I won’t have to be paranoid that I taste like smoke, even after eating the strongest breath mint that is sold on the market.

And that’s what I have so far. This list will certainly grow.

I am reclaiming my life from smoking. I own smoking; smoking does not own me.