Conquering The Inner Demons With Lord Ganesha | Addiction Recovery
Lord Ganesha, who is also acknowledged as the remover of obstacles, is a powerful motivational symbol for those who have the willingness to overcome addiction, whether from alcohol or drugs. The very image of Lord Ganesha is depicted with many objects that have a direct connection with an addict's life, inspiring him to move from darkness towards light.

From Darkness To Light: Lessons From Lord Ganesha
Anyone can become a master of his desires, just like Lord Ganesh sits on a rat (the desire), given the fact that rats are greedy and lack self-control. Lord Ganesh wants us to become powerful enough to let go of the things that are destroying us so that we can truly achieve happiness and lead a meaningful life.
Similarly, the noose held in His hand represents that we all have the inner power to subdue evil thoughts and to capture our negative emotions with the help of conscious thinking. Being ignorant of our thoughts means letting our mind loose into the space where it may wander off anywhere or nowhere.
In His Left Hand, Lord Ganesha holds the Axe that teaches us to kill our ego for the sake of saving our relationships. When our loved ones get hurt due to our actions, it is best to remove our false ego and welcome those who love us into our lives with a big heart. To conquer the hearts of our loved ones, we must first conquer our destructive habits. In His Right Hand, He holds the lotus that has the fragrance of gratitude towards everyone who wishes for our good health and prosperity. It is this very lotus (the feeling of gratitude) that leads towards spiritual perfection and power.
His large ears keep reminding us that listening is more important than speaking, as real learning is not in sharing what you know but in listening to what others have to say. Dur