I have thrown away cigarettes. I have smoked my last one ever.

It's been almost four days and I haven't missed them much. Oh, I get a twinge now and then but it doesn't last long.

This week I learned that I needed to quit smoking to prepare for possible surgery later this year.

Now I had a tangible reason to stop so I pulled out the book "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" written by Allen Carr, an ex-smoker, and read parts of it again.

It's a good book because it talks about everything associated with smoking from health issues people suffer to the lies smokers tell themselves daily.

I encourage other smokers trying to quit to buy the book. What have you got to lose? And there's a whole bunch to gain.

According to the author, my body will be free of nicotine in about three weeks.

Even after just four days, I'm already feeling the effects of not filling my lungs with chemicals and tar.

Now I have the cough that cleans the lungs, my sleeping patterns have changed, for the better, I can exercise without straining to breathe and I can tell people I don't smoke.

My success this time will last forever because finally I get it. I finally understand what Carr talks about in his book.

I don't have to use willpower to keep from smoking because I'm not "giving up" anything.

Instead I'm "escaping" the smoking trap.