As I was preparing for my Gene Cell presentation on tobacco smoking I thought about the last time I that lighted up a cigarette - come this April it will be a year of tobacco abstinence for me.
When I was smoking my mom dangled all sorts of monetary carrots for me to quit smoking, from cash to a camcorder (as I've always been interested in film making) - but apart my personal disdain of taking stuff from my parents there was never a motivation to quit.
Because for the fact I enjoyed smoking.
After several half-hearted attempts of trying to cut down smoking, I woke up one day and just decided not to take my regular morning dose of nicotine. I came to the realization that I don't enjoyed it anymore - I've increased my daily intake till the point that each smoking experience did not provide the sort of pleasantness that it used to be.
But I've always reminded my friends that I did not 'quit' - merely just stopping the habit. There was no contracted agreement with my own conscience that I would never touch a tobacco stick again due to the social stigma smokers faced - I've always done things or made decisions solely of my own choice and will (well, at least to the best of the situation per se) rather than peer pressure.
Anyway using 'stop' instead of 'quit' also prevents me from being seen as weak-willed if I do pick it up again (which I see it as nothing wrong if I actually do it.)
I'll end off here with a 'sit-down' routine on smoking by the brilliant Dave Allen.