I was just 11 when I started smoking in the 1980s. Finding cigarettes was easy. My mom was a smoker, and when she reached the end of a pack, she’d send me with a dollar to the corner store to buy more. Back then, there were no laws against selling tobacco products to kids, so the store clerk thought nothing of it.
Sometimes, I’d sneak cigarettes from my mom’s supply. Other times, I’d get them from the “cool” kids at school who let me join their clandestine smoking sessions. By the time I graduated from college, I was smoking a pack a day.
That changed when I got married and had children. During both of my pregnancies, I quit smoking. It wasn’t that difficult – it was as though my mind instructed my body to protect my babies. But as soon as my sons were born, I started smoking again to de-stress from the pressures of motherhood and my job.
One day a radio ad asked, “Are you tired of smoking?” I yelled “YES.” I joined an MD Anderson tobacco-cessation clinical trial called PISCES. The program sent medication to my home, provided remote counseling, and adjusted therapy if needed. I took varenicline for 12 weeks, had regular check-ins, and lots of support.
Today, I’m proud to call myself a nonsmoker. I haven’t touched a cigarette in over a year, and my cravings have disappeared.
Let’s Discuss
- What small morning routines helped you feel stronger or calmer during a big life change?
- Have you or someone you know been through a quit smoking journey — what practical supports mattered most?
- How do you balance short-term discomfort (cravings, early setbacks) with long-term goals like health or gym transformations?
- Could a 10–20 minute morning habit realistically shift momentum for someone trying to quit or begin a gym transformation?
Keep the discussion factual, kind, and insightful.