Legacy – We Are What We Repeatedly Do
As I began to write this I was deciding on what type of speech to give, should I make a list and thank those that helped me along the way, should I say It would not be possible to quit without KTC, should I tell my story of how I got here, or should I share what mental techniques I used to stay quit? Yes all of that would be helpful, all of that would be appropriate, and all of that would be redundant and quite boring, because all of that has been said before and really only matters to me. Instead I decided to get a bit philosophical and share what my quit and KTC really means to me, and to all of us as a community. Shall we begin?
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
–Aristotle
I believe that everything in life happens for a reason. I do not pretend to understand why or what the reasoning is, I just know that when I look back on my life every single experience I have had, for better and for worse happened for a reason. These experiences have changed the direction my life and I believe have made my life better. Ask yourself, If you could go back 10-15 years with the knowledge you possess today, would you live your life differently?
The reality is, who you are today is a direct result of the cumulative decisions you have made in your life. In fact all of those decisions have led you to reading this right now. There are no accidents.
Everyone in this community is here for the same reason, to stay free from the addiction to nicotine. I think ultimately that the decision to quit boils down to the decision the regain control over your life. Let’s face it, quitting nicotine is really really hard. It is so hard that most people who attempt to quit end up failing. If they are courageous enough to try again, typically they are met with failure multiple times. To be successful, it takes an inner strength that is developed a little each day. That inner strength is developed in the form of a simple promise to your community that you will not use nicotine today. Ultimately the ones who succeed continue this process daily and they also hold that promise as something sacred.
Something happens along the way. When you keep your promise, self trust begins to build, self confidence is restored, and a sense of pride is ignited within your soul. After 100 days, the quit becomes just one part of the greater purpose…Legacy.
Make no mistake; you are a better person for quitting. Every day that you fight you learn more about who you are, you learn more about being alive, you become stronger, and you become happier. Happiness can only be achieved by helping others. Each day you begin to leave your legacy in this life because you are helping other people leave this addiction behind.
What will YOU do when you reach 100 days, will you stop posting roll, will you leave the community, will you believe you are cured of this addiction, what will YOUR legacy be?
We are what we repeatedly do, by posting roll every day we are creating excellence in our lives…
May 2010 is a kick ass group of quitters and when it comes to quitting, we don’t fuck around…. Thanks for helping me take my life back, I’m proud to be quit with you.
-sensei
NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member sensei
