Winners Never Quit....Yea Right

How many times have you heard that tired old saw thrown around a locker room or staff meeting? Whatever the number is it's too damn high. While it sounds warm and fuzzy and at times almost inspirational more often than not it's just crap.
Let's take me for example. In my early years I had a slight problem with alcohol causing me to breakout. I broke out car windows, dorm windows, mailboxes, relationships and even jail one time. While this would bother most sane individuals I don't remember much from 1979 till 1984 so the pressure to actually become a "quitter" was lost on me. I had always agreed with the winners never quit mantra. You have to believe in something and I firmly believed it was time for another drink. To admit what a sociopath and ass I became when I drank and that I should quit would be like losing. I did quit and lost 20 pounds, my personality and half my friends.
Which brings us to today. Two months ago I gave up on a thirty year habit of smoking. The benefits of quitting are better sleep, better health, better taste, better sense of smell, better circulation and your clothes don't stink. After these two months I can say that is a crock. I do not feel any different than the day I quit except for more money in my pocket and a cold that has been here since day one. Oh and lest I forget the fact that if anything stands still for more than three minutes in my presence I will eat it. I have gained the 20 pounds I lost 25 years ago and 10 more just to make sure. But I'm a "winner" because I quit? Maybe if I quit eating 8000 calories a day I'll be considered a winner too.
The moral to this twisted little tale of my inability to do anything in moderation is that maybe the easiest way to be a winner is to not start partaking in the vice in the first place. Yea, that's it. OK kids, don't start in the first place. Whew, almost sent the wrong message there didn't I?