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Our proclivity
toward addictive behaviors subsides measurably as we begin to practice
reconnecting to our Source of being. Many books have been written on the
subject of overcoming addictions. There are countless rehabilitation
programs and centers to help those who are caught in the grip of drugs,
alcohol, food, caffeine, sex, gambling, or something else that fits the
description of chasing after what we don’t want.
I support any program designed to help people escape this imbalanced
cycle that is such a destroyer of lives. My contribution here is a brief
description of the key points I’ve found extremely useful in becoming an
addiction-free person. The following five thoughts helped interrupt my
out-of-balance thinking and behavior. Practiced with honesty and
integrity, they can contribute to a new sense of empowerment and
well-being that allows you to be free of unwanted addictions.
1. It’s All about
Realignment
This is number one because when you really practice it, you never want to
pursue what you don’t want at the expense of what you do want. You long
to be in harmony, and you desire well-being. You came from well-being, so
you simply need to choose thoughts that align with that foundation to
find your way back into alignment.
Practice praying silently as a steady background whenever and wherever
you can. Personalize and vary prayers such as this example derived from
the St. Francis Prayer: Make
me an instrument of thy well-being. See yourself always
summoning the energy of well-being from your spiritual Source. Think like
an animal who would never think of pursuing what it doesn’t want. Why
don’t birds chase after butterflies? Because they’re poisonous. Ever
heard of a robin in therapy trying to overcome its desire to eat
butterflies? Silly, yes, but it’s a helpful image to hook onto.
So think like a human being with well-being. Eventually you’ll think like
the Divine soul that you are, and you’ll be in vibrational harmony with
the well-being that is your very nature.
2. Love Your
Addictions
If it’s food, love it. If it’s cocaine, love it. If it’s painkillers,
love them. If it’s cigarettes, love them. These are some of your greatest
teachers. They’ve taught you through direct experience what it is that
you no longer wish to be. They’ve taken you to the depths for some
reason. This is an intelligent system you’re a part of. There are no
accidents in a Universe supported by omniscience and omnipotence. Be
grateful for these teachers.
If you hate them, curse them, and attempt to fight these addictions, you
tip the balance toward hatred and fighting. You then continue to chase
after what you don’t want because you’re in a weakened state. Fighting
weakens; love empowers.
So tip the scale toward love. Be grateful for the addictions that have
taught you so much. Send them a silent blessing. By doing so, you shift
toward the love that you are.
3. Love Yourself
This is the natural outgrowth of choosing to love your addictions. Think
of your body as a sacred temple, and extend reverence as a form of love.
Be aware of, and grateful for, every organ, every drop of blood, every
appendage, and every cell that constitutes your body. Start right this
minute by offering a silent prayer of gratitude for your liver, your
heart, and your brain. Just say: Thank
you, God, for this glorious gift. I treasure it, and with your help,
today I will begin the process of loving it unconditionally.
If you still feel attracted to substances that you despise, say this
silent prayer before ingesting them. Love will ultimately become the
added weight that rebalances your life.
One of my favorite American poets, Henry W. Longfellow, tells us: “He
that respects himself is safe from others; he wears a coat of mail that
none can pierce.” When we truly respect and love ourselves, it’s as if we
have a shield of flexible armor made of metal rings and loops of chain
that protects us from the addictive other
that’s been a part of our life.
4. Remove All Shame
You’ve done nothing wrong. You haven’t failed—you’ve only produced
results. The question isn’t about how bad you’ve been; it’s about what
you intend to do with the results you’ve produced. If you opt for shame
and guilt, you choose the one emotional reaction that will disempower you
more than any other. Whatever your present-moment status in relation to
your addictions, it’s all perfect. You had to go through the traumas you
went through. You had to disappoint the people you’ve mistreated. You had
to get this far down. You needed this out-of-balance energy in order to
aid you in generating the energy to get you to the higher place where
you’re now headed.
You are still a Divine being in the eyes of God, despite any weaknesses
that you feel are incongruous with God’s love. You needed all of those
experiences, and now that you’re contemplating leaving them behind and
rejoining your spiritual Source of well-being, shame will only hamper you
and send you back to that absurdly imbalanced world where you never get enough
of what you don’t want.
5. Live from a New
Knowing
Finally, create a space within yourself, somewhere very private that only
you and God are privy to. In this inner space, post the words I Know. This is your
invisible connection to God, where purity and well-being define your new
addiction-free self. Regardless of how many people distrust you and
remind you of how many times in the past you’ve failed to live up to your
promises, this is your space of knowing.
From this unshakable space, ask for Divine guidance. Ask to have the
ecstatic energy of purity and well-being flow directly to your heart. If
you slip, retreat immediately to this space of knowing. Forgive yourself
and see yourself surrounded by God’s love, holding you in balance once
again. As a man who has been there, I can promise you that you’ll be
provided with all of the guidance, direction, and strength that you
need—and you’ll get what you do
want rather than what you do
not want.
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