where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
-Saint Francis of Assisi
Category: peace
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
Karma.
For every action
There is an equal & opposite reaction
No right or wrong
No morality
No judgment
Just an observation of the law of nature
When we cause unneeded suffering to non-human animals
Humanity suffers
Suffer from viruses like covid-19, sars, and swine flu
Suffer from pood poisoning, air pollution, & toxic water pollution
When we justify violence
We can become violent, cold, and apathetic
Not seeing reality through the lens of compassion
Insanity
Repeating the same mistakes
Expecting different results
We can support peace
We can support our mother nature
Invest in solutions to wean ourselves off meat, dairy, and eggs.
Whether this be whole food plants, plant-based alternatives, or cellular meat
We must choose another path
If we want to thrive into the next century
As individuals we can support the future we would like to see
Do we want a peaceful world full of compassion with less suffering & illness?
Or do we want to support violence and unneeded suffering?
I don’t judge anyone for supporting animal agriculture for I did for 28 years
Humanity must decide which path it would like to take
Not through force but through awareness, education, & compassion
Earthlings.
I have a dream
That one day our fellow earthlings will not be exploited
Whether it be for taste, fashion, science or sport
I have a dream that no mother cows will have their calves stolen from them and sold to veal farmers
Exploited for their milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt
Used & abused they are then sent to the slaughter house
I have a dream that no animal will have to live a life of suffering & pain
No animal used for leather or wool
A life is worth more then a fashion statement
I have a dream that no dogs, cats, monkeys, etc will be forced to suffer for science
Forcefully injected with chemicals, drugs, & radiation
I have a dream that no whale, dolphin, seal, or fish will be dragged out of the ocean for fun or food
I have a dream
That all circuses, zoos, slaughter houses, fisheries, and all forms of animal exploitation will come to an end
That humanity will wake up to the suffering of their fellow earthlings
To see them as sentient beings who need our protection
Not things to be exploited for our taste or entertainment
All beings want freedom
Animals suffer just life you & I
Please do your own research
Watch documentaries like “earthlings” or “dominion” and you will see what I have seen
We together can change this world into a more compassionate & peaceful world
This dream of mine will not happen today nor tomorrow
Not even in my lifetime
But the mere fact that I & many others care gives me hope
That maybe one day this dream will come true
For now I will do what I can to help alleviate suffering in this world
Earthlings Documentary:
Practicing Peace.
I recently went to a Vegfest in my local community. The food was great and overall the message was a positive one. A message that we can help stop climate change, transform our health, and vote with our wallets to stop cruelty against animals through eating a plant based diet. A few of the vegans were so angry at meat eaters though. One of the presenters went on an angry tangent about decapitated pigs heads at the grocery store. She yelled at the crowd that she couldn’t understand meat eaters(even though she ate these products most of her life). It was a friendly reminder to me that true compassion encompasses all beings, not just those who live the same way as you. The way of peace doesn’t condone violence but seeks to understand others instead of judge. True compassion encompasses Hitler, Stalin, and Charles Manson.
If we want others to be more peaceful we must be peaceful, it’s as simple as that. Maybe we could just focus on ourself, making our own life our message to others? Our message of peace will be watered down if we communicate in a violent way. Practicing non-violence is something MLK, Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha, and mother Theresa all agreed on. It’s something they wanted us to practice on a daily basis. The next time we complain about the world affairs we could ask ourself “how can we expect the world to be at peace if we aren’t?”
Focus within. One lit candle can light a thousand candles.
With Aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
I’ll Stay in my Own Lane.
I won’t change you
I won’t judge you
I won’t argue with you
I’ll stay in my own lane
For life is too short for me to focus my energy on others
Telling them what they should or shouldn’t do
My work will be to accept all as they are
For I’m no god nor tyrant
No dictator or ruler
My path is mine to walk
No one can walk it for me
And I can not force you to change
Grow & change in your own time
Or not!
Who am I to judge?
I have plenty to work on
Much growth to be had
Any energy spent on you would be wasted
For my life is my message
If others follow
That’s great
If they don’t
That’s fine too!
I’ll stay in my own lane
Paving My Own Path.
Culture wants me a certain way
Break under the pressure
Bend my values
Ignore my instinct of compassion
Indulge my ego
Feed my darker side
How do I pave my own path with such pressure?
Constant flashing lights
Tell me to eat foods against my values of health & compassion
The talking heads on the screen tell me to fear the world
They have enticed me my entire life to choose greed, hatred, fear & apathy
Dividing me into a million labels
For me to fear the other
Not today
I will choose another path
Paved with compassion, understanding, & love
This is the path of the peaceful warrior
A path that doesn’t fight greed, anger, & hatred
It just focuses on growing peace by showing compassion, love, & understanding to all
May I.
May I show compassion
To even those who harm others
May I always seek peace
When others choose violence
May I be grateful
Even when life gets tough
May I seek forgiveness
Knowing its a gift to myself
May I choose love
When fear crosses my mind
May I choose freedom
Over security
May I always seek to understand others
Not judge
May I be in this present moment
Even when my mind drifts to the past or future
Peaceful Warriors
Peace
Violence
Live within all of us
Feed the peace
Acknowledge the violence
Shed light into it
For peace grows with peace
Water the seed of peace
With compassion & understanding
Love the dark side
Show it loving kindness
Join me if you chose
In the army of love
Soldiers of peace
Compassion & understanding
As our weapons
We are peaceful warriors
Sheding light into the darkness
