Tag: Zen

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Outdated Identity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

Sitting With Uncertainty

There might be a heaven
There might be reincarnation
Or there could be nothing
I do not claim to know anything for certain
When I am firm with a belief of what happens after life
I lose all grace
I lose all faith
I lose all wonder

Instead of claiming to know anything

I sit closely to uncertainty


And whole universe opens itself to me

It’s everlasting wisdom humbles me each day

Be weary of those who claim to know anything for certain

With aloha,

Johnny

Truly Helping

To truly help others

Focus all your energy on healing yourself

Be kind always but don’t sacrifice your own health & well-being by focusing your energy on others

It is possible to reduce others suffering and help others see the inner Buddha that lives within all of us

But if we are drowning in our own suffering we can’t help others who suffer

It is possible to awaken

To not let fear, hatred, anger, and ignorance run & ruin our lives

No matter your skin tone, gender, age, or wage

Thanks to impermanence, we can transform our suffering into joy

And we can help others do the same

Not by force but through understanding, compassion and forgiveness

Namaste,

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

Thích Nhất Hạnh

No mud, no lotus

Thay you touched my heart & soul many times with your compassionate actions & words

Thank you for sharing your light upon me

Watering the seeds of compassion, peace & love within my mind

Teaching me that impermanence is what makes life so special

You have passed but I know you live on

No birth, no death

Your energy still flowing through the clouds, earth, water, and each one of us

Photo credit: Kelvin Cheuk Lotus in a Sea of Fire:Honoring Thích Nhất Hạnh Thích Nhất Hạnh, pronounced Tik-N’yat-Hawn, was a Vietnamese monk of the Zen tradition, part of the Mahayana branch of Buddhism. The first word in his name, Thích, is actually a title…

Thích Nhất Hạnh

Life & Death

Life & death are interconnected, not two separate concepts

The ultimate yin & yang of the cosmos

Each day cells are born & die in our own bodies

Death surrounds each moment of life
Without death there is no life
Breathing in I know I’m of the nature to grow old
Breathing out I know I will die one day
Knowing this noble truth I will enjoy this beautiful life that has been gifted to me
Each day is a new opportunity to pay gratitude to the universe
I will do my best to live a compassionate, peaceful, and loving life
I will not let fear, hatred or greed control my one life.

“To truly live, we must die each moment.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

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