The money in my bank account is not my money
It’s God’s money
I’m just holding onto it temporarily
This revelation has liberated me from the destructive energy of greed
Because the money in my bank account was never
I can give it freely to those in need
I don’t need to cling to it out of fear
I can choose love by giving it away to the homeless and vulnerable
Thank you God for liberating me from selfishness and greed
With love,
Johnny
We all need friendship as human beings. Humans need some connection to other people to thrive. In today’s world of social media this can be challenging. I have struggled with finding real friendships the last 10 years of my life. I have even questioned who my real friends are in the past. Were we just drinking friends in college or was there a real connection? People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. What causes us suffering is clinging to friendship when they do not serve us anymore. If one side of the friendship makes it difficult to hangout with and constantly makes excuses then it’s not a real friendship. Even if at one point you were real friends. I travelled the east coast of Australia 2 years ago and currently live in Byron Bay, Australia. I had a great time with a group of backpackers I met along the way. This friendship was fantastic for 3 months when we were traveling but as soon as we lived in the same area things became toxic.
I tried so hard to meet up with a few of these friends but for whatever reason they made it very difficult to hangout with them. They made it a chore to be friends with them, which is not true friendship. Real friends make time (even 10 minutes), acquaintances make excuses and gaslight you to think you’re in wrong.
I’m learning to let go of people who do not want to be in my life to make room for those who actually genuinely like the man I’m becoming through my day to day recovery from my gambling addiction. I’m not the same man I was 9 months ago when I entered gamblers anonymous and started my journey to heal childhood traumas. Letting go of material goods, jobs, and even relationships (friends, family, etc) that don’t serve you anymore is crucial for a happy healthy life. Setting boundaries is important before we completely cut off people. I still have deep compassion and love for those acquaintances I have let go of, knowing that they suffer too from something they aren’t ready to work through.
With love,
Johnny
We may celebrate our birthday as the day we were born but that’s not entirely true.
We came into this world at the creation of this universe
The matter in our body originated in that one eventful moment
Everything and everyone came from the same source
Whoever is reading this is my brother or sister
We even have non-human ancestors connecting us to other animals
So we truly are like stars dancing in the night sky
But through confusion, distracted and addiction we lose sight of our inner Buddha nature
To feel the oneness of everything emotionally is to feel Nirvana
It is our birthright to discover this ultimate reality
But we must learn to get our mind still through deep meditation
Anyone can become enlightened through their actions if they are dedicated to the middle path
With Aloha,
Johnny
For too long we have ignored our suffering
For too long we have abused our suffering
Through this endless cycle of neglect & abuse
Our suffering grows stronger
Our addictions become more intense
The pain deep in our heart is calling out for us
It needs compassion
It needs the healing nature of forgiveness
The darkest parts of us need the tender care of loving kindness in order to transform
When we learn how to suffer
We suffer much less
So go home to your suffering
Do not ignore or abuse the hurt parts
Show compassion, love and forgiveness to them
With aloha,
Johnny
Each day I surrender
Each day I admit defeat
In surrendering, I’m liberated
In admitting defeat, I’m free
Liberated from the obsession
Free from the mental slavery of addiction
Entitled, bitter, and upset
I cause my own suffering
What’s the antidote for this mental condition?
Gratitude
How could I lose sight of all the things I could be grateful for?
Grateful for my job
Grateful for friends and family
Grateful for life & it’s infinite possibilities
The conditions of happiness are always available at any moment
Even through the darkest times we can cultivate joy through gratitude
We can bring our breath back to this exact moment
Peace & joy can only be found in the here and now
With aloha,
Johnny
One of the fastest growing addictions in the world is gambling addiction
With more availability than ever, more people are going through challenging circumstances because of this addiction
Many lose their house, job, and family
Some even lose their life to this addiction
1 in 4 attempt suicide, the most out of any addiction
Losing money from gambling is tough to deal with but nothing compares to the guilt, shame, and regret that haunts you
I’m 3 weeks sober right now
I’m determined not to gamble
I have lost 50k in my lifetime but also have put untold stress and anxiety on myself because of this addiction
My life purpose is on the line
True freedom is not the freedom to self destruct
But to be free of our addictions running and ruining our life
With aloha,
Johnny
Let go of the need to be right
Let go of the need to control others
Let go of the need to control your surroundings
Allow others to be who they are
Allow situations to unfold without complaining or controlling anything
True liberation is found when we don’t allow outside situations to hinder our own happiness
True strength found in staying positive even in the most challenging situations
Your life is your message
With aloha,
Johnny
I’m an indentured servant in the 21st century
Not to a single person
But to my discover and capital one credit cards
Commercials taught me I needed these precious cards
They they would bring me joy
The opposite was true
For every time I gambled
The shackles on my wrists got tighter
Everytime I mindlessly consumed
The shackles got tighter
The thousands I spent at coffee shops was all to dig myself deeper into financial slavery
Until one day I awoke to my servitude
Realizing my freedom has been stripped from me slowly each day from my unwise decisions
Now aware
I will be more mindful
I will practice discipline
I will practice compassion
I will practice transparency
I will break from indentured servitude
One day at a time
With aloha,
Johnny
Question society
Question your culture
Question your thoughts & behavior
Your diet
Your values
Your opinions, beliefs, and habits
Question if this is truly who you are
Or what you were taught by others
Life is too short to live it blindly
Not questioning what we have been told
Question everything, including yourself
Is this what I truly believe from logical evidence?
By love?
Or is it driven by greed, hatred, or fear?
The Narrow Path 