Tag: love

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

Instrument of Love

God of my understanding

Use me as your instrument of love

Where there is violence

May I practice peace

Where there is apathy

Compassion

Where there is doubt

Faith

Thank you for the gift of life

To show gratitude

I will practice compassion, love, forgiveness and grace to the best of my abilities

With aloha,

Johnny

Healing

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

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

Seeds

Each day I rise in a world full of hatred, fear, and greed

Before I judge others

May I recognize that these elements are found within me as well

Each day I rise in a world full of compassion, love, and peace.

Before I interact with others

May I recognize that these elements are found within me as well

These elements are like seeds in the garden of my mind

The seeds we water the most will grow

So for today I will do my best to water only the seeds of compassion, love and peace within me & others

With aloha,

Johnny

The Gift of Suffering

Suffering has great wisdom

Suffering has hidden gems under the chaotic surface

Suffering & joy are two sides of the same coin

Left & right

Up & down

Suffering & joy

We cannot have one without the other

So smile at your inner most suffering

Sit with it with curiosity & compassion

The gifts of suffering will be found in this space of openness & self love

If we run from it or suppress our suffering, it will persist till our last breath

If we try to suppress our suffering through substances, we suppress our joy as well

So go home to your deepest pain

It has many lessons

It can be transformed to boundless joy & serenity if we learn the art of suffering

With aloha

Johnny

Looking Deeply at Reality

If we look deeply at a flower

We see there isn’t truly a flower

A flower is made of non flower material

A flower is made of water, soil, nutrients & sunlight

You and I are the same

If we can touch the true reality of things

We see that everything is connected

I am not made of human materials

I am made of water which came from the clouds & rivers

I am made of materials like iron, calcium, zinc

Which were created many billions of years ago in a dying star

I am made of the sun, water & soil

Our life is impermanent on this earth but our matter is infinite

It can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed

If we can touch this true reality, our suffering will vanish in this moment

With aloha,

Johnny

Service

Any path that isn’t for the betterment of others is not worth taking

Even if we find our spiritual path though Buddhism, Hinduism , Christianity, yoga, or transcendental meditation

Our practice is still driven by ego if the sole intention is to better ourselves

We must take what we learn on the yoga mat, church, mosque, or meditation cushion, roll up our sleeves and help others in our daily lives

Don’t discount even the smallest acts

Even a smile or a kind word to a stranger can significantly help others

Choose compassion over apathy

Love over fear

Curiosity instead of judgment

With aloha,

Johnny

Lost in Self Doubt

Life comes with challenges for us to learn from. I have had many challenges come my way from my many experiences in college, breakups, moving to Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. I always had a great attitude about it because you learn so much about yourself by experiences; good & bad. You can always make a new decision today that can better your life.

I never doubted my decisions until this year. Early in this year I kept making decisions out of fear that put me in living situations that compromised my health & happiness. In February, I started feeling hopeless & lost. I lost faith in my own intuition. I felt like I lost my own ability to make decisions for me thrive physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe. It’s like you’re lost in a maze and you keep questioning every decision. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness, fear, and despair. Eventually you question yourself so much that you just stop trying & depression sets in. You start living your life paralyzed by fear & self doubt.

I know this situation will end eventually, all is impermanent. A huge part of me wants to move back to Australia & start making decisions out of love instead of fear of failure or not having enough money. A part of me wants to move back to the central coast of California and a part of me wants to stay in Colorado Springs with family. I keep bouncing back n forth in my decision. Thank you to my family & friends for your patience & love while I try to figure out the next step in my life. 🙏🏻

With aloha,

Johnny