If Today Was Your Last Day

Have you ever noticed that when you are consciously thinking about something, you see it everywhere? For example, lets say you went out looking at cars and you found one you particularly liked. Over the next several days you notice that make and model of car everywhere. But prior to you looking at the car, you probably didn't notice them.

Now that I am consciously thinking about quitting smoking, things that I had not previously associated with smoking I am starting to associate with smoking. On the way home from work tonight I was listening to a song by Nickelback called "If Today Was Your Last Day". I had heard the song a few time before I started quitting smoking, but now that I am in the process of quitting, the words have a different meaning. I won't post all of the lyrics here, but here is the first verse and my thoughts about some of the lines in the verse:

My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each days a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned
Leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

"Each day is a gift and not a given right"
We never know how long we are going to be here on Earth. Every day is special. So why am I shaving time off of my life by smoking? If I were laying on my death bed and was still a smoker, I would be kicking myself in the ass for not quitting. I would be telling myself something like 'If only I had quit 20 years ago I would be able to stay here on Earth with my beautiful wife and kids. But because I let the addiction consume my life I must say goodbye.'

"Leave no stone unturned"
I need to do whatever it takes to overcome this addiction.

"Leave your fears behind"
Like most smokers who are thinking about quitting, I am scared. Scared that I will not be able to quit. Scared that I will become irritable as I go through withdrawal and take my aggression out on people that I care about. Scared about what life will be like as a non-smoker. Scared of a lot of things. And I can't be afraid to ask for help if I need it.

"That first step you take is the longest stride"
The first step is always the hardest. I have been thinking about trying to quit again for months. Thinking is the easy part. There is nothing easy about actually starting the process of quitting. I know this will be a long journey, but I hope that as the days go by, it gets a little easier.

The entire song is good and has really made me think about life and how how we cannot rewind the clock. There is no going back. Once your clock runs out, that's it. You can't replace the batteries.

I think I am going to make this song my Quit Smoking Anthem. Every time I am having a hard time quitting or thinking of giving up the fight or want to remind myself why I am doing this, I will play it.

If you want to hear the song, here it is with the lyrics. I used to have the actual music video, but it was pulled from youtube for some reason. Probably copyright issues.