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.
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.
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.
Throw away the unessential.
Remove the superfluous.
Let go the distractions & pacifiers.
Delete the clutter.
Take charge of your life.
Minimalism.
Intentional living.
It’s a way of life.
A life of simplicity.
Not chaos.
Minimalism allows us to live mindfully.
To touch freedom, joy, and calmness.
To focus on what truly matters.
So let go of the junk.
Whether that be material, digital, or mental.
Let go of the trinkets, trophies, and trivial.
Embrace your new found freedom.
Your new life can be filled with meaning, not stuff.
Depression
Anxiety.
A deep mental fog.
Sleep deprivation.
Constantly distracted.
Why must I be distracted from my life?
Is my cell phone more important than joy?
I must change this behavior.
Today, I will rip off the band-aid.
No more social media.
No more scrolling away my life.
This blog post is about the new American dream and my perspective on it. This post is not to demonize the traditional American dream or to tell you there is a “right” or “wrong” way to live your life. There are many different paths up the mountain.
Every decision leads to another. Even the smallest of steps can lead to a big decision in our life. Much of our lives are spent preparing, enduring, and recuperating from changes in our life. Suffering occurs when we resist the inevitable changes in our inner or outer environment. Our dreams change as well. Many achieve celebrity and find out they are even more miserable than before. We must adapt and change with our dreams.
Complacence and stagnation is the easiest route but in the long run, they often lead to disappointing results. Often the more difficult route leads to joy, contentment, and freedom. Freedom, in my opinion, is the most important concept for humanities overall happiness. Freedom is the American Dream. More importantly, freedom is the dream of all sentient beings.
I distinctly remember at 12 or 13 years old learning about the reality of the American dream. At this point in my childhood, I realized that the American dream sounded like a nightmare!! The American dream was not my dream. To work a job I disliked for 40 plus years and buy a house that would take 30 years to pay off sounded horrifying. I couldn’t believe that most people wanted this out of their one life. I wanted something different out of my life; to experience true freedom. But as the years went by, I slowly accepted my fate and forgot about my dreams of freedom. By the time I was 17, I wanted to be a millionaire with a wife and kids by the time I was 30 years old. In retrospect, I just wanted to fit in with societal norms. Societal norms are taught to us at an early age by family, teachers, commercials, tv shows, and movies. They shape our perspective at an early age. We end up accepting these norms to fit in so we don’t feel like an outcast. It’s ingrained in our DNA to want to be accepted so we are cast out of our tribe, which would end in our death. In our modern society, we have the freedom to question all societal norms and seek out like-minded individuals who share similar values.
In the past 3 years, I have questioned much of what I learned as a child/young adult about what success is. Is success having a career, wife, and two kids? Do I want a life blanketed with security or a life flourishing with freedom? Luckily my immediate family did not reinforce societal norms and thus allowed me to have an open mind. It was much easier for me to break out of the societal norms with a supportive and understanding family/friends. The biggest realization I have had was that my true dream is similar to what I enjoyed as a kid. I was mesmerized by maps, globes, and open space; now my dream is to travel and works remotely around the world. In many ways, my journey has allowed me to embrace my inner child. The child who was curious and open to new experiences. The inner child was just suffocated by fear, doubt, and worry.
I value freedom over security. I value love over fear; curiosity over indifference. With a shift of perspective comes a shift in our dreams. New possibilities can bring joy instead of fear. Your American dream is whatever you want it to be. Just remember each decision is ours to make and ours to take responsibility for.
Do you truly want freedom? Whats your dream? What must you let go of for you to live the life you want to live?
With Aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
Freedom or security.
Love or fear.
Let go or cling.
Impermanence surrounds every moment.
Keep moving forward.
“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.”
–Mohandas Gandhi
The world seems to be on the brink of destruction. News station reporting new mass shootings every week. ISIS beheading videos posted each month. Global climate change killing our ocean’s coral reefs and causing severe hurricanes. How do we keep sain? How do we live our lives with love in a world full of hate? That last question is a tricky one. We are actually living in the most peaceful time in human history! The difference is that our ancestors lived in small communities with little knowledge of events happening outside of their village let alone other countries. In a world of 24/7 news, we have become addicted to outrage, fear, and worry. We are not only what we eat. We become what we watch, listen, and pay attention too. So if we only watch the news, then it’s understandable why we have become fearful of the world. The internet is a medium of total human consciousness. Lots of random thoughts and ideas scattered throughout YouTube, blogs, and Facebook. Within the internet, there is a lot of fear, hatred, and worry. The internet is full of white noise. This white noise can distract us from living a meaningful life full of purpose, altruism, and growth.
Back to the purpose of this blog post, how can we change the world when we are just one small part of it? As Gandhi said, we must become the change we want to see in the world. This will keep our spirits high and keep us motivated on our path. You would be surprised at how much you can change the world with your diet, consumer choices, and by simply living your life in line with your values.
To begin our journey to living an intentional life we must be radically honest with our self. Radical honesty is saying what you truly mean without being mean. Many of us walk around being dishonest with our self. This leads to pain, suffering, and steals joy from our lives. We are fearful of the truth because it will make us uncomfortable. What we don’t realize is that our happiness is often found going through that discomfort. If we don’t face it, we often suffer in stagnation for the rest of life.
I now eat a whole food plant-based diet. Most of my life I was eating a standard meat & dairy diet all while claiming to love animals, environment, and my personal health. BUT my actions were not in line with what I was saying. I was being radically dishonest with myself. I knew the horrors of factory farming but still contributed to it. I was fearful of the discomfort of switching my diet and having to let go of a tradition. Through cognitive dissonance, I rationalized violence and unneeded suffering for my taste buds. I recommend watching “Cowspiracy”, “What the Health”, or “Forks over Knives” on Netflix.
Saying we are compassionate does not make the world more compassionate. To change the world into a more compassionate place we must take compassionate actions every day. Be the change.
We also can take action in the clothes we choose to buy. Many sweatshops make their employee’s work 16 hour days in unsanitary and deadly work conditions. They pay their employee’s extremely low wages so we as consumers can get cheap clothing and goods. “The True Cost” is a great documentary on Netflix about the problems of fast fashion in developing worlds. We can change the world by being more intentional with our dollar by choosing to buy used clothing or from companies that provide better working conditions and wages for their employees.
Do we want to be part of the solution or the pollution?
My intention is to never judge another for causing unneeded suffering in the world. I have caused plenty of pain and suffering in my life. My true intention is to empower myself and others to make healthier choices that cause less suffering in the world. Shaming rarely get’s other people to make long-lasting changes while empowering others energizes the spirit and keeps us strong for the long haul.
Here are some of the ways we can take action today to make the world a more peaceful place for all living beings.
-Transitioning to a 100% plant-based diet.
-Choosing fair trade.
-Organic produce.
-Buying ethical clothing.
-Not buying wool or leather.
-Reusable water bottles and containers.
-Less driving. More biking & walking.
-Buying locally.
-Cutting back on consumer goods.
-Buying used.
-Transitioning to solar energy.
We can take action right now to make the world a better place today, tomorrow, and for the coming generations. Let’s be the change we want to see in the world. In this way, we can preserve compassion, peace, and love in our hearts and minds. We will be living intentionally and authentically with our true self. We will be living our message with is much stronger than just speaking it.
With Aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
How do I let you go?
A part of me still wants to be with you.
How can I be the best version of myself and still be with you?
You almost took my life a few times.
I could have gone to jail because of you… But you kept pulling me back.
I made huge mistakes while with you and caused suffering in the world.
Society wants me to be with you even though it’s not in the best interest of my mental, physical, and emotional health. Why is this?!
I see what you have done to others lives.
I spent thousands of dollars on you, putting me in financial stress and debt.
But damn, we had some good times together.
I made some great friendships because of you, but I know its time to let you go.
I’ll always remember you, but it’s time for me to end this show.
After 12 years of love, my attachment to you is no more.
I worked long hours for you for 7 years but I know in my heart it’s the end.
You were part of my journey to this point and I’m thankful for that.
I’m leaving you alcohol.
I know my vision now and you’re not part of it.
How can I alleviate suffering in the world and promote a healthy lifestyle while sipping a jack?
I’m leaving you and I don’t want you back.
Back story; I have been drinking for 12 years now, age 15-27. I worked in the alcohol industry for 7 years, age 20-27. I did many unskilled actions on alcohol in college and high school.
Mahalo,
Johnny Hoffman
Welcome to the 21 Century! A time period defined by its distractions, whether that be social media, Netflix, YouTube, 24 hour News, virtual reality, or video games.
Humans have been distracting themselves since the beginning of recorded human history, whether that be Roman gladiators or Netflix. Distractions can benefit society, allow for people to relax and decompress from the daily stress of life. Distractions themselves are not the problem, it’s the amount of time consumed distracting oneself. We live in a time period where there is an unlimited amount of distraction and entertainment, which becomes addictive. The high from binge-watching Breaking Bad can feel so good at first, but after spending all day on the couch, we feel horrible. This concept is known as diminishing returns. Diminishing returns is when adding more of an activity actually decreasing the amount of return. For example, 1 alcoholic beverage might bring joy but 20 drinks could lead to alcohol poisoning, at some point consuming more alcohol led to an adverse effect. The phrase “Less Is More” seems fitting.
With freedom, comes responsibility.
We have the freedom to spend most of our waking time on Netflix while only eating Butterfingers, Taco Bell, and Coors Light. I truly believe that we are blessed and cursed with this freedom. It is a blessing to live in a country where you can choose your own path, express yourself, and consume what you want without Government control. I’m very grateful for this freedom but with this freedom comes responsibility for us to regulate our habits and behaviors. I don’t think most of us have been taught self-control because our culture of consumerism frowns upon self-restraint and responsible living. The rise of Minimalism is a direct response to this culture of unsustainable consumption. We have to regulate our two most valuable commodities, time and attention. We only have a finite amount of time and attention so we must choose wisely how we spend it. It saddens me how much time I have spent on social, media, Netflix, and watching sports when I could have been contributing, growing, and spending time with people that I love.
It’s not about cutting out all these distractions, but regulated and deciding what brings value to your life. Write down what your activities are throughout the week and you will how much time you spend distraction yourself. Here is an example.
Activities Per Week
Current Vision
Netflix 10 hours Netflix 2 hours
Youtube 5 hours YouTube 1 hour
Facebook 4 hours Facebook 2 hours
Football 6 hours Football 4 hours
Family 3 hours Family 12hours
Passions 1 hour Passions 10 hours
It’s not about cutting everything our life but regulating the distractions so they don’t make up a majority of our free time. What we are passionate about will thrive if we cut out the excess of distractions. Without the endless distractions, we can spend more time connecting with our family, friends, and significant others. Our life will have more meaning and less emptiness.
We all have the same 24 hours, let’s make the best use of it.
With Aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
The Narrow Path 