Dear Cigarettes

This is a letter I wrote when I quit smoking on September 4, 2006, my 26th birthday. Writing a letter was one of the tips given to me by the Nicoderm CQ support website. One of the many things I have learned during my course of Beachbody Programs that if you want a proven program to work whether it's Power 90, P90X, ChaLEAN Extreme or Smoking Cessation products, follow the directions. These programs have Tens of Thousands of success stories and if you want to be one of them, what I have learned is all you have to do is follow the program as it is written and you will have success. Decide. Commit. Succeed.™

Dear Cigarettes,

I’m writing this letter to myself the same why that I did when I wanted to lose weight. I’m making it clear that my goal over the next two months is to quite you forever. I hate the dependence you have over my life. You made me an outsider to all my friends, family and new people who come in and out my life. You were a crutch and I appreciated the support that you’ve given me over the years. When I was stressed you were there, when I was happy, bored, excited, you were always there but no more. I have come to the realization that you crippled me. At first you were fun and new but now you are a waste of my time, money and you are slowly destroying me. You cannot and will not be a part of my life anymore. I know it will be hard to say goodbye but I need to, I have to! I lost 31 lbs in 90, I have been the best at my profession since day 1 and I continue to grow and get better. You, Cigarettes, have been the most negative thing in my life and I have just recently realized it. Like I said before and I’ll say again, you crippled me. When I go out, I get isolated from the indoors and from my friends. When I meet knew people, I can’t stick around because I need to sneak away for a quick fix. I needed to hide it at work, from friends, parents, and family. A couple sprays of cologne, some Altoids and to me you were hidden. I don’t want to hide anymore. I want to fully become the Joe I was in high school, smart, athletic and healthy. I’m tired of you running my life. You’ve had a grip on me for the past 8 years and it is time for the two of us to part ways. I’m tired of being judged by others, feeling inadequate to my peers. It is time. I have fitness goals planned for the future and you are no longer in the plan. I want to be able to do P90X with nothing holding me back, able to hit my zone and move past it. Burning calories, toning muscle and getting fit. With you in my life, you only complicate things and hold me back. Every goal I have set for myself I have accomplished. Be a starter on the Men’s Lacrosse Team my freshmen year, graduate in four years, get a job in pharmaceuticals, and earn the #1 ranking (which I did with my first two companies), move back to Rochester and the most recent, lose 30 lbs in 90 days. I am most proud of the latter because it took a commitment and a change in lifestyle and a promise to me that I was not going to break. I know quitting smoking will not be easy because unlike changing my diet, your addictive presence will always be around, whether it’s with friends, family, bars, you will show you ugly head. This is my letter to you and me promising that I will be strong enough and confident enough that once my two months are over I will be able to avoid temptation. So it is with this that I say goodbye.

Thanks for nothing,

Joe Petri

http://www.JoePetri.com