When we are lost
When we hit the lowest of lows
There is always light
Light within us
Surrounding us at every moment
Let the wind dry your tears
For every storm will pass
The sun will rise once more
Bringing light into the darkness
Category: Darkness
Burn it to the Ground.
Lighter fluid & matches
Ashes flutter in the darkness of the night
My fancy clothes, trinkets, and stuff melting into the nothingness of my once cluttered home
A weight has been lifted
Holding me back from living the life I was born to live
Freedom
Freedom from fear
Freedom from stuff
Freedom from career aspirations
Freedom from obsessing about status, money, and power.
“What designer sofa defines me as a human being?”
“The liberator who destroyed my property has realigned my perceptions.”
“It’s only when we lost everything, that we are free to do anything.”
-Fight Club
The Darkness Within.
Inside me
There is darkness
Greed, fear & even hatred
Inside me
There is light
Compassion, forgiveness & love.
I acknowledge both
For there can not be light without the dark
I vow to acknowledge the greed, fear, anger, and hatred with me
But to feed the seeds of love, compassion, and faith
To love both of them unconditionally
To acknowledge the light & darkness within myself and all
The Ghosts of Our Past.
A grandfather & his grandkids sit around a campfire on a cold winters night. The grandkids ask their grandfather to tell them a scary story. The grandfather takes a deep breath, knowing this story could have a huge impact on his grandkids. In the distance, a coyote howls into the deep silence of the forest.
The flame flickers
The moon shines into the cold night
As the grandfather tells his tale
His grandkids hearts drop
As they listen carefully to each word
Our past is not our past
If we refuse to let it go
The wise grandfather proclaimed
The ghosts of the past are real
They are dark creatures
More powerful then any demon
For they torment you
Day or night
They even follow you into your dreams
They steal your joy
Bring endless suffering
These ghosts
Lock you in a jail of regret
“How do you get out of this jail?!”
His grandkids screamed into silence of the night
“It’s simple but difficult” the grandfather proclaimed
The key to your freedom is the power of letting go
If you let go of the attachment, regret, and sorrow of your past the ghosts will disappear into the nights sky
Only to be seen time to time
To guide you on a different path then what led you to your own sufferings
Do not fight the ghosts, that is their fuel
Accept your past with compassion
For the past is gone
This exact moment is what matters
The grandkids slept good in their tents that night knowing that they are not helpless to these ghosts. The grandfather knew his grandkids would most likely have to learn the same way he did, through clinging to his past mistakes of infidelity, lying, and addictions. They will find their own way.
My Purpose.
I woke up today
With a clear purpose
To show compassion to all beings
To help others suffer less
To bring joy to others
How will I live my purpose?
By practicing compassion
Love & peace
To shed light into the darkness
To live out my message
Tiger.
My idol once fell from the sky.
Bruised & broken,
His body burning as he descended into the atmosphere.
Landing in the deepest of rock bottoms.
My perception shattered of a once untouchable man.
Judgement by others filled the air so thickly you couldn’t see the sun above.
Darkness surrounding him as he sat with himself in the coldest of winter’s.
His mental health at an all time low.
Body deteriorating in front of our eyes.
He struggled.
He fell once more.
Almost all doubted his ability & strength.
But he still kept moving forward.
As years went by, his mentality changed.
Soon he was grateful to play the game he loved.
Years of hard work began to pay off.
Today, I watched my idol win once more.
Tears came to my eyes as I saw him hug his family & pump his fists into the sky.
The journey was well worth the struggle.
As a man who has fallen in dark times before.
I appreciate your journey to becoming a better man.
Thank you Tiger Woods.
Big Egos.
The ego whispers “you’re right”. Unchecked, our ego will lead us into hatred of anyone who different than us. Hatred cannot be stopped by more hatred. It’s a vicious unstoppable circle of ego, fear, and hatred. Without the light of peace, the circle is infinite. Apathy & fear fuel the ego. I believe compassion and love can bring humanity true peace. Does humanity really want peace though? That’s a million dollar question. If we truly want peace we have to be mindful of the ego and its tendency to label everything as “right” or “wrong”. Labeling is the first step to hatred and violence. Labeling isn’t always bad (foods, streets, colors, etc) but when we label our fellow humans we put them in boxes; which we then label “right” or “wrong”. This distorts reality and makes peace difficult.
Understanding is the first step towards peace.
Without understanding peace is not possible. This is why mindful listening is so important in peace talks. Understanding the suffering inside another is a skill we can develop with compassion. Understanding, compassion, and peace are intertwined at their core.
Do we truly want peace or to be right?
I see this in my fellow animal right’s activists. Well-intentioned people who let their ego blind them. They care more about being right than understanding meat eaters. They end up pushing their meat-eating brothers & sisters further from plant-based living; causing more violence in the world. We all have been guilty of letting our ego take control of a conversation. I intend to show true compassion to all living beings, even those who believe the exact opposite of me. How will they know peace if we don’t show them? MLK, Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha, and Mother Theresa all preached this message of peace.
Let’s start today by mindfully listening to others instead of allowing our ego to lead into hatred. If we truly want peace in this world we must live peacefully with all living beings. By living this way, we leave the world a better place than we arrived.
With Aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
Vow.
Where there is hatred, I will show love.
Where there is fear, I will show trust.
Where there is doubt, I will show faith.
Where there is apathy, I will show compassion.
Where there is violence, I will show peace.
I vow to show others another way.
Darkness.
The darkness surrounds me.
Fear consuming every thought.
Anger pulsating through every cell.
Hatred burning into my soul.
Greed filling up my mind.
Do I resist the darkness?
Do I suppress these dark emotions?
No.
I will accept the darkness.
I will honor the greed, anger, hatred, and fear inside me as part of who I am.
But I vow to shine light into the darkness of my soul.
The light of love.
The light of kindness.
The light of compassion.
The light of forgiveness.
I will show the darkness another way.
The Narrow Path 