A Question of "Who Are You?"

“You are the star in the sky, shine your light on the path of others on their dark days to let them know ‘who you are’.”

-- Lord Robin

What is availability? Have you ever made yourself available for others?

Yes. I let them know my schedule and will make myself available for them, as I can. No one should assume your availability, that would be rude. It would also be selfish to not be available for those already on your schedule. Making yourself available means just that, you make yourself available. Noe, if you were to say “I’m always available for you” you’re putting yourself at their every beck and call. Even as a selfless person, this is not a really smart thing to do. One must always leave a bit of wiggle room for the unexpected.

What are the downsides to a person having a lot of courage?

Death.

How do I make myself seem like I’m happy and mentally stable to other people?

Make the conscious choice to be happy always. Life is all about choices and decisions. If you make the choice to be happy, do it for yourself, not for other people. Be happy and mentally stable because you choose to be, not because you want other people to judge you so. They have their own issues to deal with.

“How you choose to feel today should not be dependent on others.”

-- Anthon St. Maarten, author

What is the easiest way to force yourself to write short of paying for a personal assistant?

Boredom and/or enjoyment. I’ve written two fiction books for myself because I enjoy writing and, after two years alone in Mexico, I was bored.

When a person says "you will never change my mind", are they declaring that they already know everything, or that they are incapable of learning anything new?

A self-proclaiming desire for ignorance. They are declaring they have already made up their mind and truth be damned. It certainly isn’t that they already know everything, because the statement is evidence that they don’t. And, it isn’t that they aren’t capable of learning anything new, they simply choose not to. Belief in socialism is a good example of this. It doesn’t work, yet people still want to destroy a country by traveling this road to nowhere, especially after they have escaped a country that failed while trying to make it work.  Some people are just thick.

Aside from "work, work, work", how much do you believe in burning midnight oil?

Being a “workaholic” is not healthy. I work late when the job needs to be done. You have to take some time for yourself, your friends, and your family.

“Own the amount of time you spend at work as a choice, not a consequence. Don’t play the victim of your job.

Hard work is a high. It is. Don’t forget what you’re reaching for while getting high on work.”

-- Richie Norton, author

How am I of value to myself, to others, and to what I believe in?

You are alive. This gives value to yourself. What you do with your life, selflessly for others, is evidence of your value to them. What you do is evidence of who you are, and who you are is, essentially, what you believe in. In this context, taken in total, what you believe in has value.

From 1-5 with 1 lowest and 5 highest, how would you rate yourself in terms of your values as a good person?

I'm a 4, only because there’s always room for improvement.

What if I don't know?

Then, I suppose it sucks being you, depending on what the question was. But, sometimes, ignorance is bliss. I wouldn’t worry too much about what you don’t know. One half of the country just helped socialists crap on the Constitution.

“As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself…The critical issue is allowing yourself to know what you know. That takes an enormous amount of courage.”

-- Bessel A. van der Kolk, psychiatrist, author, researcher, educator

What are your personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats?

I am an ethically patriotic hypocrite, retired for the third time. The only opportunity I have to look forward to is to be happy always while under the imminent threat of death.

Does it ever occur to you to motivate yourself by thinking of doing things that your future self will thank you for, and trying to visualize this if you can?

Every time I belly up to the stove, I’m thinking of how I can make something my future self and those around me will thank me for. It takes much visualization, preparation, and focus. 

How do you focus on what matters and let go of what doesn’t?

If it doesn’t matter, why in God’s good name are you holding onto it? What doesn’t matter is usually drama, and we need so much less of that in our life. Make the conscious choice to let go of it, and then strive to be happy always.

“Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses.
Focus on your character, not your reputation.
Focus on your blessings, not your misfortunes.”

-- Roy T. Bennett, inspirational author

How do you find the middle ground between telling yourself that you are special and telling yourself you are insignificant?

You don’t. If you’re looking for a “middle ground” you’ve already copped to insignificance. You have always been special, you just haven’t realized it yet. Better to find why you’re special than to sell yourself short. Start by making the conscious choice to be happy always, and work your way from there. Happiness is a way we prove we are special, not only to ourselves but to others, as well.

What is another word for loyal?

Fealty. Although, I consider it part of the larger idea of ethical behavior 

When asked "Who are you?" How does one properly answer?

I think God answered this best: "I am who I am."

The only way one gets an answer they will have validation for is to get to know you. Whether you’re ethical, moral, full of shit, it all rests on getting to know who you are for themselves.

“who are you
really?

you are not a name
or a height, or a weight
or a gender
you are not an age
and you are not where you are from

you are your favorite books
and the songs stuck in your head
you are your thoughts
and what you eat for breakfast
on Saturday mornings

you are a thousand things
but everyone chooses
to see the million things
you are not

you are not
where you are from
you are
where you are going
and i'd like
to go there
too”

-- m.k

 

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.