Question society
Question your culture
Question your thoughts & behavior
Your diet
Your values
Your opinions, beliefs, and habits
Question if this is truly who you are
Or what you were taught by others
Life is too short to live it blindly
Not questioning what we have been told
Question everything, including yourself
Is this what I truly believe from logical evidence?
By love?
Or is it driven by greed, hatred, or fear?
I’m lost in the negativity
Drowning in the sea of news
Death counts on my mind
Economy crashing
Endless news of this pandemic
Fear & anxiety
Run through my mind
The 2nd pandemic
Of our times
I know this will all pass
Impermanence ends all
All we can do is have faith
Faith that things will work out
The way they are suppose too
The Ferris Wheel of life
Enjoy the views
The sounds
Bask in awe of life
As you turn slowly
Aging
Growing
Ever-changing
Embrace your childlike curiosity
As you notice all the details of nature
Outside & within you
Beauty found everywhere
Love unconditionally
For everything & everyone is impermanent
Enjoy each day alive
Knowing it won’t last forever
The ride will end for you & I
Allowing others to enjoy the ride
Without death, there is no life
Embrace both
I have a dream
That one day our fellow earthlings will not be exploited
Whether it be for taste, fashion, science or sport
I have a dream that no mother cows will have their calves stolen from them and sold to veal farmers
Exploited for their milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt
Used & abused they are then sent to the slaughter house
I have a dream that no animal will have to live a life of suffering & pain
No animal used for leather or wool
A life is worth more then a fashion statement
I have a dream that no dogs, cats, monkeys, etc will be forced to suffer for science
Forcefully injected with chemicals, drugs, & radiation
I have a dream that no whale, dolphin, seal, or fish will be dragged out of the ocean for fun or food
I have a dream
That all circuses, zoos, slaughter houses, fisheries, and all forms of animal exploitation will come to an end
That humanity will wake up to the suffering of their fellow earthlings
To see them as sentient beings who need our protection
Not things to be exploited for our taste or entertainment
All beings want freedom
Animals suffer just life you & I
Please do your own research
Watch documentaries like “earthlings” or “dominion” and you will see what I have seen
We together can change this world into a more compassionate & peaceful world
This dream of mine will not happen today nor tomorrow
Not even in my lifetime
But the mere fact that I & many others care gives me hope
That maybe one day this dream will come true
For now I will do what I can to help alleviate suffering in this world
Earthlings Documentary:
I won’t change you
I won’t judge you
I won’t argue with you
I’ll stay in my own lane
For life is too short for me to focus my energy on others
Telling them what they should or shouldn’t do
My work will be to accept all as they are
For I’m no god nor tyrant
No dictator or ruler
My path is mine to walk
No one can walk it for me
And I can not force you to change
Grow & change in your own time
Or not!
Who am I to judge?
I have plenty to work on
Much growth to be had
Any energy spent on you would be wasted
For my life is my message
If others follow
That’s great
If they don’t
That’s fine too!
I’ll stay in my own lane
Divinity is found within all
Even if they don’t realize it
Buried under years of conditioning
Fear, anger & greed cover the jewel that is your true nature
To be kind
To help
To love
Wisdom is the process of unlearning
Unlearning old habits & beliefs that hold back us from touching true joy
Allowing us to see our true nature
I have worked many jobs
None defined me
I have been a dishwasher
Yet managed corporate accounts
I have cleaned toilets
Yet managed a sales territory
I have taken out many of trashes
Yet have a college degree
Money & status do not define who we are
Our salary, benefits or lack of do not determine our self worth
Unless we allow them too
Ranking ourself & others by salary
Worrying constantly about how we portray ourself to others
Let’s break free today
The mental suffering of what others think of us isn’t worth it
Divinity is found
Within you and I
But also ego
All humans have this battle within
Dark & light
Devil & angel
Ego & divine
Grow the divine fertile seeds with love & compassion
Acknowledge the ego
Bow to it
Feed it carefully
Feed it with understanding
Care for the darker side
For in caring for the dark we grow the light
The darkest moments of my life led to the most transformation. The darkness brings self-reflection, awareness, and focus. This is only if we do not numb the pain with alcohol, drugs, and/or overeating. When a family member suddenly dies or a relationship ends, we can have moments of pure awareness and clarity on what led to this moment in time.
My first experience with this transformation was when I was honest with my ex-fiance about my infidelity. She left me the following day. At first, I numbed myself with distraction but when her parents moved all her stuff out of our studio I was forced to sit in a dark & empty apartment. My first reaction was to run away and move to a new place. Luckily I chose to stay in my empty studio. The following weeks I cried every night in sorrow. Pain, suffering, and anxiety filled each moment until one day I picked up a book called “Buddhist Bootcamp” by Timber Hawkeye. Suddenly I was meditated 1 hour a day, reading, writing, eating healthier, and working out every day. I quit smoking and significantly cut down on drinking alcohol. My days were now filled with joy instead of sorrow. This all took place from March-May 2015 in San Luis Obispo, CA. Since then I have fallen back into old habits, relearn lessons, and also had new transformations from suffering. I began a journey of self-love, peace, forgiveness, and acceptance; a journey I am currently still on (and always will be). There is no destination on this path, only the love of the journey itself.
The famous Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh says “No Mud, No Lotus”. The beautiful lotus flower grows in the darkest and muddiest environments; I truly believe humans are much the same as the beautiful lotus flower. The right environment for growth usual consists of awareness, compassion, and love while we are suffering. Once we learn how to suffer, we suffer much less. Suffering can actually be the most transformative process of life if we allow it to be.
Through the darkness, we can transform ourselves and become the light to see out of the darkness. We accept the darker side of ourselves (and the world) with compassion, understanding, and peace. In this practice, we feed the light while accepting the dark. This allows for peace instead of war. The key to transformation is to sit with ourselves through the pain instead of distraction or numbing the pain. The coldest winters of my life have always ended with a warm inviting spring. All is impermanent, even the darkest of times.
With Aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
Compassion begins with me
Peace begins with me
Love begins with me
How I talk
How I listen
How I eat
How I breathe
How I write
I must live my values in order to make the world a better place
I must practice faith that what I do matters in an infinite universe
