by Dr Wayne Dyer: 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 otherthat’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 dowant rather than what you do not want.