Turn off the phone
Leave it behind
Only bring yourself & some water
Go into nature
Breathing in
Breathing out
Smile
Enjoy mother nature with out any distractions
She carries all the answer to our ills if we can look deeply into her nature
With aloha,
Johnny
From my experience, our suffering can bring much joy
But we must sit with the pain even when we want to run from it
For us to transform, we must get to know the darkest parts of our mind.
Sit with our demons until they don’t scare us anymore
Show compassion & love to the darkest parts of our soul
Surrender to the reality in front of you
Do not fight or run
Sit still & get to know them
They will always be there
But our mind can be a sanctuary, even with the demons; not a warzone
With aloha,
Johnny
Breathing in I see myself as water, flowing & flexible
Breathing out I see myself as a mountain, strong & stable
Breathing in I see myself as a flower, fresh & beautiful
Breathing out I see myself as space, free & vast
Water, flowing
Mountain, strong
Flower, fresh
Space, free
Breathe, enjoy
With aloha,
Johnny
Here I lay
Listening to the soft voice of a yin yoga teacher
In a deep meditation
An American backpacker in a distant land
Byron Bay is the perfect place for those who are searching for self knowledge
A place to heal emotional wounds.
So here I lay in a dark yoga studio
Suddenly tears come down my cheeks
My inner Buddha speaking clearly without the distractions interfering
If I don’t let go of gambling
I let go of my dreams
I let go of my happiness & freedom
My life will read as a tragedy if I don’t change my ways
I’m 6 weeks sober from gambling
Turning my life around 1 day at a time
With aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
1 month sober
Forever changed
Thank you to those who taught me the way
Thank you to those who taught me what I do not want to become
This path is more difficult but the rewards are great
I will not force my views or tell others to follow my path
I will not fight a crusade or try to convert others to my way of thinking
I will just sip my herbal tea peaceful with non judgement
My life is my message 🙏🏻
Namaste sober
With aloha,
Johnny
Many focus their energy trying to help others
Leaving themselves drained, unhappy and frustrated
They do not realize that you can not give by throwing
By forcing your beliefs on others you fall off your path and push others away from you
Just focus your energy on becoming the best version of yourself
Those who are lost in the darkness will see your light shining
It’s up to them if they want to walk along the side of you or to stay on their path
With aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
The new year is here
Will we repeat the same patterns of behavior?
Or will we grow and change into a better version of ourselves?
Many of us(including me)
Can envision ourselves in the future
Wiser, stronger, calmer, and healthier
But few can say no to whatever derails us from this vision
It takes grace, dedication, and determination to build a life worth living
If not now, then when?
With Aloha,
Johnny
The path is always unknown
There is always a fork in the road
Two or more paths in front of us
Which will be chosen?
There are infinite possibilities in this beautiful world
Yet we cling to finding certainty in an uncertain world
Not realizing that certainty is an illusion
We are a collection of our thoughts, beliefs, and actions
Each day we can change and grow
Or stay stuck in our old ways
We can’t always choose our circumstances
But we can choose our attitude and actions
With aloha,
Johnny
This life in finite
So I will live the life I desire
Go off the beaten path
Not worrying about society expectations
Judgements of others is a sign of their insecurities
Live simply if you want
Pursue life experiences instead of money, fame, and respect
Choose love
Not fear
Create your life through mindful actions, not impulses.
With aloha,
Johnny
Pain is inevitable
Suffering is optional
How we think
How we talk
What habits we choose to practice
Cause most of our own suffering
The way out is to look deeply within
How am I causing my own suffering?
Why do I do what I do?
“There is no such thing as enlightened beings, only enlightened activities.”- Shunryu Suzuki
With Aloha,
Johnny
The Narrow Path 