Can't get over your addictions? Why not simply change the addiction then... Alchemy 101.

There are many addictions we face today in society. The very word addiction brings about a negative connotation whenever it is spoken. That is because we attribute addictions to bad habits which we cannot stop doing. What if though, we were to engage in more positive habits in which you couldn't stop doing, would you still call that an addiction, or would you call it “productive” behavior instead. As I said before if people incorporated the seven hermetic principles more into their daily routine, navigating through the mental trials and tribulations of life would run a little more smoothly.

Think of the law of polarity and the law of vibration. As love and hate are not opposites but rather two different degrees of the same thing. So you have to think, which end of the spectrum are you vibrating more towards on a daily basis? The actions and habits that you engage in have a huge effect on the thoughts and perceptions that formulate and shape the world around you, and vice versa. Is it any wonder why we’re more inclined to vibrate towards the negative side of things when you look at the activities that we do: Watching violent movies, listening to vulgar music, arguing with each other over our staged political system, following mainstream media, who is right and who's wrong, worrying about things we have little control over like why does it have to rain today? How about altering those habits: Watch a movie or documentary with a positive message, who cares who's right or who's wrong, simply love the fact that we live in a country where we have the freedom to choose what we believe in! And go dancing in the rain and jump through some puddles like you would do when you were a kid.

So when we look at how this translates to addiction, simply put we’re putting our attention, intelligence, and energy in the wrong areas of life! And there are many addictions that we’ve all faced, if not ourselves all you have to do is look at your family, friends or coworkers. Smoking, drinking, coffee, drugs, alcohol and other stimulants, playing violent video games, chasing money as opposed to an ideal or rewarding career, chasing the approval of others, social media, and one of the big ones most of us face at some point or another, the addiction to food! But not food in general as you know since when was the last time you heard of someone addicted to apples, or kidney beans? That just doesn’t exist. Food addiction is relegated to the junk foods that don't serve us, the foods that alter our chemical makeup, putting us in a state of disarray, disease, confusion, and guilt. We become so deeply indulged in it, and we fight with ourselves, our addictive nature, and our ego. We eat for happiness, to fill a void, and then we get angry at ourselves for what we ate. Such a destructive and unproductive habit since food is supposed to bring us a sense of enjoyment and nourishment, not frustration, mental anguish, and ultimately disease!

So what does this have to do with addiction? Well simply put rather than look at your addiction as a battle, why don't you simply alter that which you are addicted to, using that “power of focus” into good use. Looking at addiction through a more positive lens, look at the deep mental focus you tap into when you engage in a certain habit. We humans are such amazing beings, blessed with free will and a brain that can perform so many great things: Take in so much knowledge, the ability to learn, and most of all the ability to empathize with each other and every living thing, that sense of ONENESS! So rather than using this free will, intelligence and mental focus on a repetitive habit that isn’t in our highest order, why don't we simply change the polarity or energy of the addiction, integrating it into something more worthwhile as opposed to trying to fight it. Change the addiction!

Here are some new addictions you can try out:

Meditation: Meditation takes a certain level of dedication, and focus, especially if you want to experience the very depths of your soul, and the deeper secrets of this World not so readily available in the daily news or mainstream media. Yes, meditation could be quite the mind trip! It could reveal a lot of the answers in life you’ve been looking for in all the wrong places, and never mind that. It can simply ease your mind, making life far less stressful, and find new levels of self-healing, and relaxation. If you become “addicted” enough to meditation, incorporating it into your daily life rather than just something you do here and there, who knows what levels of the human consciousness and soul you can attain or tap into! Never mind being addicted to movies or television, get good at meditation and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll be able to see when you go within! This is something you’ll never get from your “Cake” addiction either!

Knowledge: As the great Ghandi said “Live as if you were to die tomorrow, Learn as if you were going to live FOREVER!”. Take comfort in the fact that we really don’t know “nothing” about “anything”! So to go around thinking we know everything already, is it any wonder we waste our time and energy partaking in lazy and self-indulging habits? What a waste of time! Life is short and we know very little about our very own existence never mind the Universe around us, so stop wasting any more precious time and what life force you have left. God knows we’ve already wasted a lot of our time on our nefarious habits. God created us to explore this vast World and Universe, if not, than what was the point of giving us such a high degree of free will and intelligence. LEARN, LEARN, LEARN… And once you think you’ve found all the answers LEARN some more! Is it any wonder Stephen Hawking lived as long as he did with such a degenerative disease that few survive past the age of 30? He was obsessed and absolutely addicted with the big mysteries of life! Finding the “Theory of Everything”!

Oh and if you’re addicted to gossiping about others and politics, ranting on social media. Take this quote by Socrates to heart. “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” Mic drop…

Self mastery: Okay so you’re not Ghandi, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Thoth, Hermes, Mother Theresa, Archangel Gabriel, or whomever deity, great being or God archetype you hold dear to your heart and look up to. But if you strive to become even 10% or 5% of what these figures or people stood for think about how much greater, wiser, compassionate, and overall better human being you can potentially become! In fact by becoming so infatuated with this endeavor, you’ll be more likely to cut out any malignant habits or addictions from your life simply because they’re getting in your way of achieving the very lofty and rewarding goal of SELF MASTERY! So never mind mastering that “game on your phone”, become addicted to reaching your greatest version, seeing what mountains you can move with your mind!

Musical goals: Ever heard of someone with the bad habit of obsessively playing an instrument many hours a day in an attempt to master that very instrument! Well you’ve heard about people like this, but you’ve never heard it being referred to as a BAD HABIT, and there’s a very good reason for this. Learning to play an instrument can be a very rewarding accomplishment, whether or not you become a professional musician or learn it simply for the personal satisfaction of experiencing the beauty and sense of gratification that mastering an instrument can offer. There are many roads one can take when embarking on their musical journey, and one with infinite possibilities! Learning to play all your favorite musical pieces, to writing and composing your own melodic master pieces! The obsession of music can truly be a rewarding experience that can give one such a sense of peace, gratitude, and overall appreciation for the absolute beauty and infinity of this Universe! And who would you rather be at the party? That person bragging about all the series they’ve streamed or binged, or the one who can talk about all the musical instruments or songs they’ve learned to play?

Art: Just like music, art offers you a way to experience the absolute sense of beauty, creation, manifestation, and infinity that composes the very Universe we live in. It’s been said to express ones creativity or create a piece of artistry is experiencing the very mind of the ALL or GOD itself. And like music with its many forms of expressions, there are many styles, movements, and forms of art to take on, with many tools and media to create with! Whether your media of choice is traditional pencil, pastel, a paint brush, to the more digital with the absolute magic that these graphic art programs of today allow you to create. When you break it down even further to the various movements, styles, and techniques from each medium alone such as painting, from oil, to acrylic, expressionism, impressionism, water colour etc. there really is no limit when it comes to art! So become immersed in art, enjoy the passion and become addicted!

Gardening: it’s the newest, biggest hobby on the block as people today are becoming obsessed with houseplants, and landscaping their properties! Can there be a more rewarding or better way to experience this Universe than through the hobby of gardening, with that perfect balance of art or creativity, coupled with the scientific aspect of botany, ecology, and spiritually speaking the rewarding experience of seeing the power of nature in its full glory as the individual plants you’ve chosen for your garden symbiotically grow and flourish in perfect HARMONY with one another! To become a master gardener, learning about all your plant subjects and their needs and requirements to grow, becoming a plant mother or father, creating your own beautiful piece of the Universe within your own dwellings or surroundings. This truly is a beautifully rewarding hobby, and a way of experiencing the mind of God! If the more ornamental aspect of gardening is your attraction, there are so many different species and varieties of plants to choose from, not to mention biotopes such as more desert loving species, to humid species, temperate, tropical, arid plants, air plants etc. Then there is gardening for the purpose of providing the best and healthiest forms of food this planet has to offer! Creating your own oasis! A Garden of Eden full of veggies, fruits, leafy greens: becoming more self-sustainable, economical and Eco-Friendly! Leaving less of a carbon footprint, while literally enjoying the fruits of your labor as well come harvest time. It really becomes a hobby that can totally engulf you and reward you in so many ways! No longer is gardening seen as hobby for seniors, as people of many walks of life and different ages are taking it on now, and today’s World and society as a whole can greatly benefit if more people took on this beautiful obsession!

Other notable hobbies:

Reading: Feed your mind with knowledge of all forms and factions! Whether it’s fact or fiction!

Writing: Express your thoughts and feelings through journaling, or create a story that you can share with the World! Take a passion or interest of yours and share the experience or knowledge you have of it with anyone else who wishes to learn about the very subject, or shares the same passion as you!

Yoga: Connect your mind, body, and soul in perfect harmony! Learn to incorporate the Yogic lifestyle or path to your everyday life, making it less chaotic as Capitalistic society suggests.

Exercise and Sports: You don't have to become a multi-million dollar Pro athlete to feel the benefits that taking on a sport or exercise program can offer! Health, longevity, endorphin release, lowering the risk of chronic disease while raising HDL cholesterol (The GOOD kind Yes!) Do we need anymore reasons to give up our chronic obsessions with more "Sedentary" induced habits?

Rock/Gemstone collecting: To purchase your own gemstones is one thing, but to go out and search, dig and collect your own is totally different experience altogether! The rewarding experience one can gain after taking the time to research, search and claw for a particularly coveted gemstone is unmatched!

Cooking: You don’t have to become a master chef to experience the joy and gratitude cooking and preparing your own meal can offer, while cooking for other’s seeing their sense of joy and gratitude from your culinary creations brings one an ever more gracious and humbling experience. But if you want to become a culinary master then who’s stopping you? Have at it!

There are many other more productive hobbies, addictions or obsessions one can exchange their unproductive or malignant habits for. Energy can never be destroyed, only exchanged. So take your alchemy game to the next level and change your negative habits into one that brings more joy, gratitude, and a sense of fulfillment not only to you, but the people around you and the Universe as a Whole!