Category: peace

Heal Yourself, Heal the World

Looking at world affairs I can only come to one simple conclusion. Compassion, forgiveness and love are the only ways to heal ourselves and the planet. Violence will not end violence. Even our peace agreements are often not very peaceful. If we keep punishing each other we will keep suffering more misery. At the deepest level, hurting another person is to hurt yourself. New technology will not save us from the self destructive qualities of greed, hatred and fear that consume us.

If we take this model and apply it to our own individual life we can see a way out of our own suffering as well. Our mind doesn’t have to be a battlefield anymore but a beautiful sanctuary of healing. Through the power of compassion, love, and forgiveness we can heal any traumas from the past and live fully today without fear. We can develop a deep faith in something bigger than ourselves that keeps us grounded. We don’t have to be at war with ourselves ever again and we can be quite joyful at any moment. What would Jesus or the Buddha do? What would the best version of yourself do? They would forgive you and show deep love and compassion to even the most hurt and lost parts of you. 🙏🏻

Legacy

My life is impermanent

Knowing this, I vow to live deeply each day

Love unconditionally

Have deep compassion for all, even those who harm others

Forgive anyone who has harmed me

Including myself

Let this be my legacy

My legacy will not have dollar signs or job titles

My legacy is not purely words

But my actions

With Aloha,

Johnny

Peace In Every Step

We don’t need to pick a side in war

This doesn’t mean we ignore the suffering, we must not be ignorant of the pain & suffering of war

Instead we can be on the side of peace & non-violence

This is a dangerous but courageous stance

Both sides might hate us but we must carry on to help reduce the suffering of war

Do not allow hatred and anger blind you

Use compassion instead of anger to fuel your activism

In order to bring true peace

We must not get attached to any ideology

Peace is not a hope

It’s a practice of non-violence, compassion, and love

Peace in every step

Peace in every breathe

By practicing peace in our daily affairs and speaking out against violence we help ensure a more compassionate and peaceful future for future generations

War will end eventually but by practicing peace we can work towards ending current wars sooner to reduce suffering

With aloha,

Johnny

5 years Vegan

Veganism is not a diet
Not a weight loss strategy
My intention is not to reduce my carbon food print

It’s a radical shift in the way I look at non human animals
To see them as individuals with the capacity to feel pain, joy, and suffer
To harm them is to harm myself

5 years ago I vowed to look at all beings through the lens of compassion
To reduce suffering in the world by not supporting the exploitation of animals for food, clothing or entertainment
To practice peace in each meal

I don’t expect the world to understand or agree with my life choices
I understand many are not ready for this radical message of non violence

With aloha,

Johnny

What’s Good Or Bad?

What’s truly good or bad?

Thanks to impermanence everything changes.

My darkest times have led to moments of liberation, joy, and enlightenment

So I don’t know if it was bad or good when I have self destructed in previous relationships or with my gambling addiction.

When things appeared to be falling apart they were really falling in place.

In the dark, there is some light

In the wrong, there is some right

Every storms runs out of power, the trick is to not run from it

Embrace the darkness & allow it to transform you into someone you couldn’t of imagined

As my teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said..
No mud, no lotus

Through deep suffering there is joy

With aloha,

Johnny

Accepting Others

Accept others

For who they are today

Not what you think they should be

The ego wants to control everything & everyone

While the divine accepts & loves others for who they are today, no matter how “flawed” they are

There is a wise zen master in all of us knows that others will change on their own pace (or not change at all)

Focus the energy you have used arguing or controlling others on becoming the best version of yourself

Your life is your message

“We are all mangoes on the same tree, ripening at different times.”

With Aloha,

Johnny

Choosing Compassion 3 Times A Day

Will you choose compassion?

Or apathy?

Will you choose curiosity?

Or tradition?

Will you choose peace?

Or taste pleasure?

Each day we can choose what world we want to live in.

Each meal deciding the fate of innocent animals.

Each meal deciding the future of our species.

Each meal deciding our health outcome.

We vote with our wallets each day & meal.

The first step is awareness.

The next is action.

Consider a vegan diet & lifestyle.

With Aloha,

Johnny

Loving Me

This poem is inspired by Kid Cudi’s song “Lovin’ Me” off Man on the Moon III: The Chosen One

Hell & heaven live within us

The inner voice that tells us that we aren’t good enough

Strong enough

Pretty enough

That we aren’t worth love

The seeds of self-hatred sprout into suffering

Only self compassion can lead us out of the dark

Into the light of peace & love

Self love being key to humanities transformation into a more peaceful species

If we don’t love ourself

If we can’t show compassion to ourself

How can we share love & compassion with others?

With Aloha,

Johnny

Link to “Lovin’ Me” by Kid Cudi

Our Own Life is Our Message.

What do you want to be remembered for?

The shiny sports car?

A fancy corporate title?

Or is there more to life than accumulation and status?

I want to be remembered as a compassionate person.

As someone who reduced the amount of suffering in this world.

Who left this world a little more peaceful then when I arrived.

Not through talk alone but through mindful action.

Our own life is our message.

With Aloha,

Johnny