We are nature.
A gentle breeze grazes me.
As I gaze into the deep blue sea.
Nature reminding me once more,
How beautiful she truly is.
May we see the oneness of nature.
Oneness of everything.
The illusion of separation blind us from the ultimate truth.
We are nature.
As long as this illusion lasts.
We will not wake up to save ourselves.
Why are we here?
What is our purpose?
To mindlessly consume?
To suffer & cause suffering?
Humanity has hit a turning point.
We can not mindlessly consume much longer.
Our path must change.
To a more mindful one.
To uplift and inspire change.
To help alleviate the suffering of all sentient beings.
To save our precious planet from mindless consumerism & ego.
To be the change,
We seek in the universe.
I woke today seeing the world differently than before.
As I walked through the forest,
I saw my own lungs within the trees.
My heart within the sun above me.
My mind found within a cold waters stream.
For without the trees,
I have no air.
Without the sun,
I have no heart.
No mind,
without clean water.
Violence on my TV.
Hatred in the YouTube comments.
Fear of the great unknown.
This is the suffering of humanity.
So how can I help alleviate this suffering?
By inquiring within.
Within my violence & hatred.
Within my fear.
By showing compassion to darkness in my soul.
Peace will only be known if we become it.
Why do we cling and obsess with the known?
As if we could control everything & everyone around us?
When did we lose our faith in the unknown?
Infinite possibilities lie ahead of us on the path unknown.
Embrace it with excitement & joy.
Two years ago I left my corporate job and moved to Maui to a simpler life. Now I live in New Zealand on a working holiday visa.
Alot has changed in these last two years; both inner & outer. Many amazing sunsets, beautiful ocean views, and amazing mountains. Through my journeys I experienced that happiness is found within. There were dark times living in paradise (Maui) and life isn’t always perfect traveling New Zealand. You bring your insecurities, fears, doubts, unskillful habits, and worries with you every where you go.
There are plenty of unhappy people living in beautiful destinations and many content people living in undesirable cities. Happiness is not a destination, it’s a way of life. A way of life we as individuals must find out on our own. There are many blueprints of other people’s lives to learn from though and many people who will help you along the journey.
You are not alone, but only you can truly help yourself become content with your life.
No pill, book, or material item can replace hard work and commitment. Question everything, even your own thoughts, which are often based on false narratives from past experiences.
This seems difficult but what could be more important than your own contentment? What I find liberating about this message is that we are back in the driver seat of our own life. No one can save us but ourself. We have the power to live the life we truly want to live. It only takes us letting go of old beliefs, habits, and judgments.
Kia Ora,
Johnny Hoffman
I accept that I am flawed and not perfect… So why do I expect the world around me to be perfect?
I see myself and many others suffer from setting high expectations for the world around them. Expectations are planned failures. We expect ever traffic light will be green and every day for the sun to shine. Everyday at work has to run 100% smoothly. We expect the barista to be friendly and helpful. What if we could let go of our high expectations and just enjoy life in the now? We can focus our own energy on improving ourselves and the world around us instead of criticizing others. Sounds like paradise compared to everyday struggle of constantly being disappointed when our expectations aren’t met by our family, friends, and coworkers. We can raise the standards of what we can control(diet, friends, habits, perception) and let go of the expectations of perfection in the world around us.
Another beautiful side effect from this change in perception is that when things do go smoothly it’s so much more enjoyable than ever before. There’s much less complaining, victimization, and mindless gossip when we let go of our high expectations.
There’s no right or wrong way of living our life. But we can suffer much less by being mindful and open minded. We can’t change others into what we want them to be. We can only change our mind set towards others.
With Aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
I am home.
I have arrived.
Present in this moment.
Focused on my breathe.
Letting go of my attachments.
My fears & doubts.
I am home.
I have arrived.
In the now.
Humanity builds their cellblock from within.
Years of fear, doubt, & worry.
Obsessed with control & power.
False sense of security.
Let’s plan a prison break.
Rip the shackles off tonight.
Let go of fear, worry, & doubt.
Embrace the path unknown.
Oh, how beautiful true freedom is!
One day worth more than a thousand in my cell.
Three coconut trees are planted near the coast of the Island of Maui.
One palm tree focuses its energy on impressing tourists by growing the most delicious coconuts on the island. It seeks constant validation from others.
The second tree wants to be respected for being the tallest coconut tree on the island. It grows its stem thick but not flexible to impress or scare others.
The third coconut tree is small and has average coconuts. It focused its energy on building strong roots deep into the ground.
A massive storm approaches from the north. High winds howl into the darkness of the night. The storm ends swiftly the following morning leaving the coastal town in pieces.
The first tree is uprooted, flying into the depths of the ocean. It spent a majority of its life trying to please others and thus had tremendously weak roots.
The second coconut tree wasn’t flexible enough to weather the storm. It spent its whole life trying to earn respect through fear and power. Its insecurities cracked under the immense power of the storm.
The third coconut tree survives the storm. Its roots were well developed and its stem was flexible in the high winds. It wasn’t living to please others or intimidate them through might.
By focusing your energy on your roots you can weather any storm.
By staying flexible, you can bend with the strong winds of life.
The Narrow Path 