Questions Are a Thing?

The human life is all one thing, like a blade tracing loops on the ice: a little kid, a twenty-three-year-old infantry sergeant, a middle-aged writer knowing guilt and sorrow. 

-- Tim O'Brien, novelist

Why are questions a thing?

They aren’t. Questions are a thought process.  Things, whether animate or inanimate, should have substance.  Most people would say thoughts are things, but thoughts rarely, if ever, seem to have any cogent, substanitive, content.  Just saying.

What is your approach to life? How and why?

This is simple. Wake up each and every morning thanking God for the gift of another day in paradise and another chance to excel in it. Make the conscious choice to be happy always. Keep drama and debt as far away from your life as possible, and surround yourself with like-minded people. Be a mentor to those in need and strive to put them on their own road to happiness through their own good decisions and choices. Why? Because the alternative really sucks, and should never be looked at as an option. If your circumstances are crap, change them. Life is nothing but a learning experience, so strive to graduate. Be happy always!

What’s something about you that you always want to share with everyone around you, but don’t because you don't want to come off as conceded or gloating?

There is absolutely nothing I can think of. In the military, being the best at what we did was expected. It was not a matter of conceit, it was a matter of striving to be the best at all times, or people die. We did this job with all humility. You should never have to worry about being conceded or gloating if you approach life with humility.

“Much of someone's real character lies in what they don't say about themselves.”

-- Joyce Rachelle, author, poet

What happens to you?

When? And, why do you want to know? Is this a trick question? I’m so confused.

My friend used to have a crush on my boyfriend and now she’s telling me I’m ignoring her for him. What do I do?

Are you ignoring her? Friends forget that relationships, like friendship, take some time to nurture. This time has to come from somewhere, and I hate to say it, but it sucks being her. You should sit down and explain the facts of life to her and reinforce that you are her friend if you still are.

My wife is acting differently. She can’t do enough for me. She is constantly running around me to look after me?

Are you having an affair? Is she? This could be guilt, fear, or just a decision to dote on you constantly (I'd almost rather it be an affair.  The constant doting would drive me nuts). Best to sit down and talk to her about this calmly and without accusations.

Author's Comment:  No. I'm not having an affair. We spend more time than ever together. But also follow our own Hobby's. She seems more happy and outgoing than ever. We don't have any problems. None that I know of. We have enough money to live a comfortable life.

My Response:  Well then, I’d say you’re one lucky dude. Revel in it! I’d still sit down with her and let her know you’ve noticed it and appreciate it. Maybe a nice dinner out?

“You can always tell a happy marriage. People in love begin to acquire each other's traits, each other's styles- they begin to look and act alike. They want to please. They admire each other and, naturally enough, want to become what they esteem and cherish.”

-- John Dufresne, author  

Should we break our desires, and why?

There is nothing wrong with desire. I have desired many things that I still wish I had, couldn’t afford, or had no place to put them. I have managed to still be very happy without them. We shouldn’t let our desires rule our lives, but we also shouldn’t deprive ourselves of dreaming.

As I get older, and life's disappointments begin to mount, how do I keep the bitterness from taking root in my heart?

I recognized early on that the circumstances of my life were all about the choice and decisions I made. Luckily, I have made very few poor choices and decisions. Life is all about learning, and learning is all about making mistakes. Correct the mistakes you make and learn from them. Embrace life as the classroom it is, and strive to be the best you can be. Learn to be happy always, even in the face of adversity.

Every morning when you wake, thank God for the gift of another day in paradise and another chance to excel in life. If you don’t excel today, tomorrow is yet another gift. 

What do you do when there's no hope left?

There is always hope. Even in death, the prospect of death, or imminent death, there is always hope, for those who have faith. Our faith is our unwavering belief, our hope, in something for which there is no proof. Our hope is why we risk our lives to save others at risk. Without our hope, our faith, what are we left with?

“Unto Almighty God, we commend the soul of our brother departed, and we commit his body to the deep; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection unto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; at whose coming in glorious majesty to judge the world, the sea shall give up her dead; and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed, and made like unto his glorious body; according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.” 

-- Burial of the Dead at Sea

What do you do when everything is falling apart?

I search for the reason why everything is falling apart. It will be the choices or decisions I made. I need to review them, change or adjust them, and see if the new makes better circumstances for me than the old. We need to pay attention to now, and correct what was done in the past, if we can, so we can have a better future. Everything can be better than it is... if we dare to try.

What is one great piece of advice you can give me?

Happiness is a choice each of us must make, so make a conscious decision to be happy always.

Does survival truly triumph over everything, including self-improvement?

If you don’t survive, what’s the point of self-improvement, unless you’re improving your survival skills? Survival is what we do, daily, without really understanding what we do. Our “aha!” moment occurs when everything goes to hell in a handbasket and we are confronted with surviving it.

“Fortune favors the prepared mind.”

-- Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), biologist, microbiologist, chemist

Why is motivation the key to survival?

If you have no motivation to survive, chances are you won’t. Motivation is all about having hope, faith, and skills, even if you have to learn about them as you go.

Why do I feel like my life is falling apart?

The feeling is usually accompanied by the fact that your life really is falling apart, at least in your own mind. But is it truly falling apart, or are your expectations simply too high? Life is all about making good choices and decisions. Perhaps you’ve been making questionable ones. One good thing about life and choices is that we can always change them, make better ones, and move on, learning from the lessons we were given.

What does it mean to give your life to your work?

Dedication. When I joined the Air Force I dedicated myself to the service. Men and women who truly dedicate themselves to the ideals of America are willing to put their lives out there, sacrifice their lives if necessary, to preserve our Constitution and our way of life. We do so willingly and without reservation. We do, literally, give our lives to what we do. When we retire, we take our dedication with us into the civilian workforce. My “dedication” cost me my marriage, but I have no regrets over that. She was not as dedicated as I was, and the marriage was my mistake for not choosing a life partner better. Dedication means you are willing to pay the price to get the job done.

“Talent is cheap; dedication is expensive. It will cost you your life.”

-- Irving Stone (1903-1989), writer, novelist

 

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 the 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 a chaplain at the regional medical center.