More Questions of Happiness, Success, and Choices

“Great teams do not hold back with one another. They are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal.”

-- Patrick Lencioni, business & leadership author

Why are people these days so hard to work together in comparison to people in the past?

People in the past were just happy to have a job, a roof over their heads, and three meals a day. Competition was for those who could afford to lose. Now, if you lose you go on unemployment or welfare, which is easier than working anyway. Someone else does the work for you and you still get paid for their labor.

Is there someone in your life that diminishes your value? How so?

They can’t diminish a value they do not control. If you let someone diminish your value, you have already done it for them. You would be well served to diminish these people from your life than to let them diminish it.

Does self-respect only come in terms of someone else’s definition or isn’t it something you have to make yourself?

There’s a reason they call it “self” respect, and not “someone else’s” respect.

“We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and—in spite of True Romance magazines—we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely—at least, not all the time—but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness.”

-- Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005), journalist, author

Have you ever felt like you were used for money?

Yes, and I kept telling her she really didn’t have to pay me.  Oh, wait, I think I misread the question.

If today was International Theft Day, what would you steal if we removed the money?

It would have to be a large precious gemstone.

Is "Fake it till you make it" a good quote?

No. It is the reason for the condition of the United States today. Too many people are faking it, especially in politics. Better you should know what your job is, know what you’re doing and, more importantly, stop whining and complaining and do the job you’re being paid to do. Congress has been paid for four years of whining and doing nothing. The people of this country, who would love to have a four-year paid vacation, ignorantly paid them to do it. Who are the real losers here? Ignorant people who think any sitting President is the real problem.  It will, almost, always be Congress.

"Don't fake it till you make it. Be real, be transparent, be authentic and be yourself"

-- Darren Hardy, author, speaker, advisor

Are you happy about 2021? Why or why not?

I woke up this morning. What’s not to be happy? I thanked God for the gift of another glorious day in paradise and another chance to excel. I still strive to be happy always! The alternative simply sucks.

Can you be strong and at the same time weak?

Ever heard of a fireman braving the flames of a burning building to save a litter of kittens?

What is your philosophy of life that you follow and it brought wonderful results for you?

Never waiver from your code of ethics; hard work, honesty, loyalty, fairness, and the like.

Should we praise people more than they deserve?

Why? False praise might make them think they are more than they are. Better to give the right amount of praise so they keep on trying to excel. When they truly deserve it they will know, and so will everyone else.

“The trouble with most of us is that we'd rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”

-- Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993), minister, author 

What do you think of the following concepts: that water isn't wet, it makes other things wet and that fire is not a thing, it's an event? Can you share similar 'mind-bending' ideas you've heard?

It goes along with the concept that nothing is real until we experience and acknowledge it. This goes to the story of the blind men feeling the elephant and describing what it is. Except, it is still an elephant regardless of what they describe or experience. These “mind-bending” ideas are just that, mind-bending, but they don’t change the reality of what is. If you close your eyes and don’t realize you’ve walked off a cliff, not opening your eyes will not change the reality of what happens at the bottom.

What is the most embarrassing situation that you have woken up to?

Having been so plastered the night before that you don’t remember how you woke up next to a strange woman, much less what her name is.

If you put someone alive in 1800 in the year 1900 and also 1700, which one would seem the most familiar to them, and which would they have an easier time living in?

1700, pre-industrial revolution era. !900 would have them dealing with machines and technology that they certainly would not be familiar with.

“Every new age has at its disposal everything that was fine in all past ages, and its greatness depends on how well it recognizes and preserves and brings to the aid of its own enlightenment whatever worthy and true things the dead have left on earth behind them.”

-- Booth Tarkington (1869-1946), novelist

What are the core factors for right and wrong decisions? Explain with real-life examples?

Knowledge and good sense. When crossing a street you pay attention to traffic, traffic signals, and look both ways to double-check. We do this because history bears out what happens when we don’t. We have historical knowledge which we pass on, and, hopefully, a modicum of good sense that tells us what happens when we ignore what we know to be true. Life is all about making good choices and decisions, and we do this through learning. Or, we used to do this through learning. No one teaches good sense anymore, so it is often left up to the individual.

Do you believe 2021 will be a better year for you?

No. My country will go backward in time, losing all the gains we’ve recently made. We should make Chinese the mandatory language course in grade school.

What are some truths that you learned in 2020 and want to share with people?

When elections are rigged, you no longer have a free society. Messing with an election should be on par with treason, and all involved should be jailed and the leaders shot. America has lasted longer than most and, as Jefferson might recommend, is in need of a revolution to refresh the tree of liberty. We need to roll Madam Guillotine onto the Capitol steps and show the members of our government what happens when they don’t act in our best interest. Then we should enshrine the guillotine, where it stands, as a reminder to future “lawmakers” of the consequences of trifling with our Constitution.  Just saying.

“Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.”

-- Mark Twain (1835-1910), writer, humorist, publisher

What makes New Year's Day different from other days of the year?

Uh… it is the only first day of the new year? Is this another trick question?

Who depends on you?

My mother. As she approaches 87 years of age, and since my dad passed in 2019, she depends on me to do those things dad would have done. This is why I came back after my dad’s first stroke, knowing the inevitable was close at hand. It is, after all, what a son does.

Would you sacrifice more of yourself for wealth or status?

No. Nothing is more important than real personal happiness. I don’t think wealth or status can hold up to that.

What is something that has more value than money?

True happiness.

What is the least to the greatest?

If they are truly great, they will recognize the need for compassion and the need of the least for a hand up, instead of a handout.

A just society is not one built on fear or repression or vengeance or exclusion, but one built on love. Love for our families. Love for our neighbors. Love for the least among us. Love for those who look different or worship differently. Love for those we don't even know.

-- John Legend, singer, songwriter

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.