Uncategorized – Path Unknown.

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

I Have a Gambling Addiction

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

Relapse & Addiction

It’s been two weeks since I last gambled

Addiction rarely ends over night

It’s a journey that can bring you to your knees

Humble you

Open your heart & mind

I must see the flashing lights of the casinos as bait to a fish

The casino’s hook dragging me into debt, despair, regret and suffering

I must see gambling as self destruction instead of an illusion of pleasure

If I can be mindful & remind myself each day of the self destruction of gambling

Then I will be free to live my life without the burden of financial debt & despair

Freedom is a requirement for true happiness, whether that be financial or mental

To truly touch happiness, we must let go of old habits, thoughts, and ways of living that cause us suffering

With aloha,

Johnny

Attachment: The Root of Our Suffering

Attachment is at the root of all suffering

Attachment to youth

Attachment to wealth

Attachment to our spouse, family & friends

Attachment to life itself

If attachment is the root of all suffering..

What is the root of joy?

Freedom is the root of joy

Freedom not to hurt ourself or others but freedom from fear, anger, and hatred running and ruining our lives

Liberation from old ways of thinking & doing that make us miserable

Today is the day to start changing, even small changes can lead to huge results in time

When we look at nature, we see that everything is impermanent.

Even our own sun has a shelf life

So why do live as if relationships, wealth, family members, and our own life will last forever?

If we live a full life, one life is enough.

With aloha,

Johnny

Outdated Identity

We spend our life building our identity.

From a very early age; the music, tv, & friend group shape our identity. What we consume, becomes part of us.

But we often struggle with letting go of this identity, even when this identity is responsible for the destruction of our own joy.

We fear that if we let go of this outdated idea of who we are that we lose ourself in the process.

But the truth is that old identity was never truly us.
It was shaped by our family, culture, religion and media

So who do we truly want to become?
Do we want to self destruct our own lives clinging to the past?
Or do we want to liberate ourself & embrace a new life that is inline with our values & vision?
The first step is to release that you are worth taking care of.
Your life & happiness does matter.

The chose is ours, even minute of each day.
We can always change at any moment
Even the smallest shifts can snowball into a radically different life.

If not now, then when?

With aloha,

Johnny

Self Destruction

I was put on this earth for a reason

To reduce suffering

To bring joy to others

To see the oneness in everything

A wave realizing it’s the ocean

Energy flows within myself like an infinite river going out to sea

Many years ago, a dying star supernova gave life to myself & everything on earth

Life is precious according to me so why wait to become a better version of myself?

The time is now for change & growth

Why waste my one precious life harming myself?

Drowning myself in substances, junk food, and self destructive habits

I see my ego wanting to self destruct

All it wants is pleasure & to avoid pain

But I know I’m much more than my ego

I also have a divine Buddha sitting within myself

Patiently waiting

It doesn’t want to harm my ego, that would only feed the anger, hatred, and fear

It loves the darkest side of me with light of a billion stars

With aloha,

Johnny

Flow

What comes

Let it come

What goes

Let it go

Embrace the impermanence of each moment

Stop clinging

Stop controlling

Start allowing

Start releasing

The world does not revolve around us

Flow with it & you will know peace

Fight it & you will know suffering

With aloha,

Johnny

True Success

True success isn’t found on a business card

It isn’t found on a bank statement

Not on a fancy diploma hanging on the wall

Or a sports car, Rolex, mansion

Success (to me) is happiness

A life full of joy & adventure

Both inside & out

Success is found in kindness & compassion

It’s found in the smile of a baby

And the wisdom of an elder

In the end, we define what a truly successful life is

In my experience, success is not found in the material world but a kind, compassionate and happy life

With aloha,

Johnny

To Truly Live

To truly live
We must die each moment
We must let go of the past
Not obsessed over the future
Not worried about what could go wrong
Just enjoying this moment

Naturally our mind will wander like clouds in the sky
With mindfulness we anchor the mind to our breathe
Breathing in we know we are of the nature to grow old
Breathing out we know one day we will die
Knowing this we vow to live each day like it’s our last

We look at all life through the lens of compassion

We vow not live our life full of fear, anger, and hatred

Instead we will water the seeds of compassion, peace, and love each day

So they bloom at any moment
Living this way will benefit yourself, the planet and the ones around you

With aloha,

Johnny

Letting go of the Pursuit of Happiness

For us to be truly happy we must let go of the pursuit of happiness

Because when we feel temporarily happy, we desperately cling to it

We become restless and fearful of losing happiness, which causes a vicious circle of suffering

So for us to be truly happy we must be calm and centered

You can’t be truly happy if you’re not calm

So instead of seeking pleasure or avoiding pain

Seek the discomfort of stillness

Look within that restlessness, anger, or hatred

And let go of the pursuit of happiness

Instead of trying to find this elusive happiness, practice the middle path of awareness, peace, and being calm

Each time we fall off the path of clarity & calmness we self reflect, let it go and move forward

From my experience, this way of living seems much more sustainable than chasing elusive happiness

A friend shared this with me and it has enriched my life significantly and I hope it does the same for you

With aloha,

Johnny