Category: minimalism

Coming Home.

I have lived in paradise

Warm weather

Palm trees

Tall lush mountains above me

I have travelled far & wide

In search of adventure

Hawaii

Japan

New Zealand

Vietnam

Thailand

I have been tested on this journey

Brought down to my knees

Fearful of uncertainty

But I kept going

Faith in the path unknown

As I pack my bag one last time

Tears fall down my cheeks

Joy of the many great memories

Flooding my mind

Many new friends

So much growth

Beautiful mountains, ocean, & people

It was worth every penny spent

Worth every fearful moment

On my path unknown

Horizon.

As I stare off into the horizon

I reflect on my life

The man I have become

In 29 years, I have come so far

Yet old unskillful habits persist

Holding me back from living the life I truly want to live

My breathe brings me back into this moment

In this moment I can change my life

I can begin the process of letting go of what’s holding me back

So I can acquire the life I want to live

Purpose.

What is our purpose?

Money?

Fame?

Is our only purpose in life to consume & buy stuff?

I believe our purpose on this planet is much more than what’s listed above.

We are here,

To inspire.

To create.

To help others.

To protect the innocent.

We are much more than our career, bank account, awards, and trinkets.

Oneness.

We are nature.

A gentle breeze grazes me.

As I gaze into the deep blue sea.

Nature reminding me once more,

How beautiful she truly is.

May we see the oneness of nature.

Oneness of everything.

The illusion of separation blind us from the ultimate truth.

We are nature.

As long as this illusion lasts.

We will not wake up to save ourselves.

Saving Our Planet.

Why are we here?

What is our purpose?

To mindlessly consume?

To suffer & cause suffering?

Humanity has hit a turning point.

We can not mindlessly consume much longer.

Our path must change.

To a more mindful one.

To uplift and inspire change.

To help alleviate the suffering of all sentient beings.

To save our precious planet from mindless consumerism & ego.

To be the change,

We seek in the universe.

Wander into the Unknown.

Why do we cling and obsess with the known?

As if we could control everything & everyone around us?

When did we lose our faith in the unknown?

Infinite possibilities lie ahead of us on the path unknown.

Embrace it with excitement & joy.

Vulnerability: Our Biggest Strength.

Aloha,

Today’s blog post is about being vulnerable. Vulnerability is humanities greatest strength. It takes courage to be completely open and honest about our struggles.

Instagram & Facebook show us highlight reels of other people’s lives, which makes us feel like we aren’t living our lives to the fullest. There is a reason that studies show that heavy social media use is linked to depression, anxiety, and loneliness. We only connect at a surface level in sharing our highlights. Full transparency allows us to connect at a much deeper level.

Everyone has hardships but we rarely (if ever) share them on social media. Why is that? Are we scared that others will pity or judge us? From my experience, others will support and open up to their struggles once we break the ice. Connecting with others in this way is special.

For the past 6 weeks I have been traveling New Zealand on a working holiday visa. I haven’t started the working part of that yet though! LOL. Its hasn’t been perfect though. I spent way more money than expected on my first month of traveling which has caused me anxiety. At times, I have felt lonely in my travels, even when many others were around. Lately I have been having a hard time dealing with boredom and lack of purpose with no job. Lots of self judgements and worrying about what others think of me. Slowly I’m excepting the fact that this is a sabbatical and I will find work in the new year. I need to show some faith in myself once more and enjoy my free time.

Our society could benefit from being more vulnerable with each other. It helps us feel more connected and compassionate to others. Vulnerability takes true courage and strength. We all share the human experience together, let’s help each other live the fullest life that we can.

What have you been struggling with lately?

Namaste,

Johnny Hoffman

Is Happiness a Destination?

Two years ago I left my corporate job and moved to Maui to a simpler life. Now I live in New Zealand on a working holiday visa.

Alot has changed in these last two years; both inner & outer. Many amazing sunsets, beautiful ocean views, and amazing mountains. Through my journeys I experienced that happiness is found within. There were dark times living in paradise (Maui) and life isn’t always perfect traveling New Zealand. You bring your insecurities, fears, doubts, unskillful habits, and worries with you every where you go.

There are plenty of unhappy people living in beautiful destinations and many content people living in undesirable cities. Happiness is not a destination, it’s a way of life. A way of life we as individuals must find out on our own. There are many blueprints of other people’s lives to learn from though and many people who will help you along the journey.

You are not alone, but only you can truly help yourself become content with your life.

No pill, book, or material item can replace hard work and commitment. Question everything, even your own thoughts, which are often based on false narratives from past experiences.

This seems difficult but what could be more important than your own contentment? What I find liberating about this message is that we are back in the driver seat of our own life. No one can save us but ourself. We have the power to live the life we truly want to live. It only takes us letting go of old beliefs, habits, and judgments.

Kia Ora,

Johnny Hoffman

Expectations=Planned Failures.

I accept that I am flawed and not perfect… So why do I expect the world around me to be perfect?

I see myself and many others suffer from setting high expectations for the world around them. Expectations are planned failures. We expect ever traffic light will be green and every day for the sun to shine. Everyday at work has to run 100% smoothly. We expect the barista to be friendly and helpful. What if we could let go of our high expectations and just enjoy life in the now? We can focus our own energy on improving ourselves and the world around us instead of criticizing others. Sounds like paradise compared to everyday struggle of constantly being disappointed when our expectations aren’t met by our family, friends, and coworkers. We can raise the standards of what we can control(diet, friends, habits, perception) and let go of the expectations of perfection in the world around us.

Another beautiful side effect from this change in perception is that when things do go smoothly it’s so much more enjoyable than ever before. There’s much less complaining, victimization, and mindless gossip when we let go of our high expectations.

There’s no right or wrong way of living our life. But we can suffer much less by being mindful and open minded. We can’t change others into what we want them to be. We can only change our mind set towards others.

With Aloha,

Johnny Hoffman