gratitude – The Narrow Path

The Power of Gratitude

Gratitude is the antidote for all bitterness, resentment and hatred.

Next time you feel deep resentments towards a friend, family member or boss try to remember how grateful you are for them. Write it down and meditate on gratitude.

Liberation from all resentments is a joyful experience. When we hold onto resentment, bitterness and hatred we become ill. The only way to feel healthy again is to forgive others and express gratitude.

If someone is truly toxic to us we can still bow out and thank them for teaching us a lesson of what not to do. Gratitude does not mean excepting harmful behavior from others. We can walk away with gratitude and love for them.

Gratitude is a beautiful practice plus it’s free and available at any moment.

Your brother,

Johnny

Attitude Adjustment

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

31 years

I have loved

I have learned

I have met so many great people

Seen so many new places

Experienced the beauty this world offers

I’m content with the life I have lived

Even with the challenges each day brings

I’m grateful for life

Here is to each day alive

“Life is a test, gratitude is the answer.” -Timber Hawkeye

The Beauty of Impermanence.

Why do we only appreciate places, people, and pets when they are near their end?

Or worst off when they are already gone..

We know logically that all things must come to an end.

A sunrise will turn to sunset, leading to a new day.

Everything & everyone has a shelf life.

Could we feel Impermanence emotionally instead of purely logically?

Most run around ungrateful for life.

That life SHOULD be a certain way.

Instead of embracing the uncertainty.

And being grateful for what they have.

Many live as if they will never die.

Only to never truly live.

What if we could live each day knowing that our life and everything/everyone will end?

Would we cherish even the worst of pain?

Knowing that life itself is precious.

Gratitude is the antidote to anger & resentment.

Being mindful of the impermanence of life is key to enjoying what we have today.

Starting today we can build a better life for ourselves & the world around us.

With Aloha,

Johnny

Kobe & Gigi.

Some of us won’t grow old

Some of us will die too soon

They will not see another beautiful sunset

They won’t see their children grow

Their death is a tragedy

But an important lesson for us all

That life is short

Too short to hold grudges

Too short to be cruel

Too short to hate

Hold the ones you love closely tonight

For we truly don’t know what lies ahead

Show gratitude for your life

Show love to all

RIP Kobe Bryant, Gigi Bryant, & the 7 others who lost their lives today

You all will live on within your family & friends

Thank You!!!

Thank you farmers for growing my vegetables.

Thank you farm workers for bearing the withering sun.

Thank you food packers and factory workers.

Thank you truck drivers.

Thank you grocery store clerk’s.

Thank you police officers.

Thank you fireman.

Thank you soldiers.

Thank you to dish washers, cleaners, bussers, servers, cashier’s, office workers, engineers, doctors, lawyers, laborers, salesman, and stockers.

I’m grateful for your hard work. 🙏🏼

DNAncestors.

My ancestors walk with me.

They live on in my DNA.

An English sailor.

A German farmer.

An Italian factory worker.

A Spanish settler in Mexico.

An Aztec Warrior.

A West African slave.

How did you survive disease?

War-torn countries.

Blatant racism.

Food scarcity.

Unbearable suffering.

Because of your perseverance & strength.

I have this opportunity to live.

Thank you.

Gratitude.

I breathe in.

I smile.

How wonderful it is to be alive!

Joy pulsates through my body.

A smile lights across my face.

My heart beats with compassion.

My lungs full of gratitude.

Grateful for pain.

Heartbreak.

My breath.

And Joy.

Grateful to be alive.

I will smile.

I will laugh.

I will dance.

For life is impermanent.

Thank you life.

Thank you impermanence.

Thank you.

Welcome To Heartbreak.

I cried.

I begged.

I promised I would change.

I poured my heart out.

I suffered alone.

How could you not want me back?

Why can’t you forgive me?

How could you be so cold?

How could you be so heartless?

Welcome to heartbreak.

The heartbreak of rejection.

The sadness of regret.

The pain of looking in the mirror.

Self-hatred.

Anxious days.

Depressed nights.

Through the pain, I learned how to be the lotus flower.

For the lotus flower grows in muddy waters.

Through suffering comes joy.

Through suffering comes peace.

Through suffering comes transformation.

No mud, no lotus.

My heart is now filled with gratitude.

Thank you for letting me suffer and grow.

Thank you for letting me go three years ago.

Thank you, Alicia.

Hope all is well.

With Aloha,

Johnny Hoffman

Backstory: 3 years ago in Feb 2015 my life changed forever. I finally told my fiance that I cheated on her. She left me that day. I felt heartbroken, fearful, and anxious. I had to sit with myself. Sit with the anxiety, pain, and loneliness. Sit with the self-hatred. Through that suffering I found a new way of life. A one of meditation, mindfulness, and joy.

(Main photo: Kanye West, 808’s & Heartbreaks)

Mahalo: With Gratitude

Mahalo is the Hawaiian word for gratitude or a simple thank you.

Thank you all for reading my blog. Every view inspires the next post and keeps me going on my spiritual journey. You all help me grow and become a better human being. I only hope that my blog posts does the same for you.

We can be thankful for our friends, family, and life everyday. This will allow us to feel more content and less bitter about life’s inconveniences. Every breath is a gift and every moment alive is a blessing.

Gratitude is the antidote for anger and resentment. You can’t feel angry and grateful at the same time, try it out and you’ll see for yourself!

Mahalo,

Johnny Hoffman