Happiness, the Past, and Anxiety - Part 2

"The past is yesterday, so pay no more attention to it than a memory and a lesson. Pay attention to now, for this moment is how we will live the next."

As a prelude to reading this offering, I invite you to read "Part 1" at this link:  "Happiness, the Past, and Anxiety.

The impetus for "Part 1" was the deluge of requests for my opinion, or answers, to questions put to me from many of the Quora members.  The opening paragraph for "Part 1" stated, "I've been answering a lot of questions addressed to me from an online site called "Quora."  Questions from Quora members can be addressed to the general public or to an individual who has answered like questions before.  Those addressed toward me are usually concerned with happiness, the past, or anxiety."

I probably answered 75 questions, or so, over several weeks, before the League of the Perpetually Offended (Quora) dropped the hammer on me.  At first, their complaint was simply that I didn't reference my "stock answer," concerning happiness, to the originator.  Well, I explained I didn't reference myself because I considered it obvious, by the lack of a reference, that I was the originator.  So, I began prefacing my "stock answer" by stating it was my stock answer to the question being asked.  A week later their complaint was something more ambiguous and, even though they didn't explain what it was, they stated that whatever it was violated some rule.  This is when I discovered there were so many rules you'd wonder why anyone would bother taking time to post an answer, and rules clarity seems to escape the whole process.  Unsubscribing from this site was even a confusing task.

Socialists are pretty transparent by the fact that they flaunt rules they don't elaborate on so they can force out those who don't meet their hidden requirements, their agenda.  Again, clarity seems to escape them.  Fine.  My happiness is not based on the past and has no room for any anxiety they may think they may be causing me or, more importantly, their own members who seek answers.  And right there is the point I always try to make, so I'll repeat my "stock" answer for those who didn't bother to read "Part 1" prior to reading this:

There is no miracle for happiness, as happiness is a miracle. We are born innocent and have happiness within us. The world, society, and culture, can either support our happiness or try to take it from us. You can’t find elsewhere what you already have inside. Get rid of all the drama in life, stop listening to those who would hold you back, especially family, friends, and government. Discover inside of you that happiness which you have had all the time, since birth.

Whether rich or poor, happiness is a frame of mind and a choice each of us must make for our life. It is the choice to exercise our freedom of thought, freedom no one may take from us, our freedom of choice to pursue personal happiness that others think they can take away from us and put in the hands of the government. I think the poor have a unique view of happiness that may not include riches. I think the rich have a responsibility to assist others in their own pursuit of happiness. This doesn’t mean the rich must turn over their wealth to those who haven’t earned it, but I think there is a moral responsibility for those who have “made it” to assist others to become more than they are through mentoring and other non-monetary support, like education and housing projects.

No matter what financial or societal status, life is full of challenges and lessons. We should wake up every morning and thank God for the gift of another glorious day in paradise and another chance to excel in our life. We need to learn to be happy in failure, as understanding and embracing our failure is the best way we can learn to move forward in this life and the next.

But, perhaps it’s better to ignore outside stimuli and for everyone to just make a selfless personal choice to be happy always!

Socialist philosopher, Karl Marx, once wrote "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people... The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo."  That referenced "vale of tears" is searching for truth and, as hard as they might try, socialism cannot hold back the truth from the people, from their freedom of thought.  The real test is being strong enough to defend your freedom of thought and not let anyone take it from you.  Don't let them prevent you from searching out truth and happiness.  It would seem by their actions, as much as Quora would like answers to its member's concerns, they are less concerned about their member's happiness than they are about the members marching in lockstep with some "hidden" thought process.

Now, they might say some of my answers offered no real direction.  I would point to question which were so vague as to rate a simple "yes" or "no" without an explanation they didn't ask for.  For instance, asking if I "woke up happy today" would rate a "yes" from me.  They didn't ask me "why" I woke up happy, so I felt no obligation to offer it. 

The members of Quora obviously liked my opinions and answers, as the number of requests thrown my way seemed to multiply exponentially as did the number of "upvotes" given to my answers.  Like the current congressional impeachment inquiry, but truth and evidence really have no bearing on the League.  The mere fact that members liked my responses seems to have been enough for those policing the site to be offended by my style and judge me unacceptable.  As for me, I really don't care about those policing Quora as much as I care about those souls looking for some answers to life which I, in all humility, tried to offer in my own inimitable way.  My information is out there if the members care to look me up.  Again, I can't say more than to quote myself:

"But, perhaps it’s better to ignore outside stimuli and for everyone to just make a selfless personal choice to be happy always!"

There it is.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.