A Question of Advice

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.”

-- Will Rogers

Is “be in the moment” the most important advice you can give someone?

Indeed. People tend to dwell in the past over events that have happened or worry over a future that hasn’t arrived. Learn from the past, because what you do right now, at the moment, will have an effect on your future.

What are the things that a person who wants to be wealthy should never buy?

Anything that puts them into debt. Debt and wealth are like water and oil, they just don’t mix.

What is the most valuable thing ever broken?

A heart.

“…the sad part is, that I will probably end up loving you without you for much longer than I loved you when I knew you.

Some people might find that strange.

But the truth of it is that the amount of love you feel for someone and the impact they have on you as a person, is in no way relative to the amount of time you have known them.”

-- Ranata Suzuki

What would be your advice for one who is a private job holder, unmarried, and turning 30 years old next month?

Keep up the good work! But, I didn’t hear you mention anything about being happy. Thirty is about the right time to be understanding true happiness and striving for it always. I would find happiness before finding a wife and children, in this way you can bring them with you and share your happiness. Parents, for the most part, don’t teach their children about being happy always.

Why does it get harder to raise our arms above our heads as we get older?

We start storing stuff lower? We don’t get into that much trouble with the police? Have you seen an older person doing jumping-jacks lately? Have you looked up “bursitis” online?

What are some self-help books with ideas or premises that have been proven correct by the field of positive psychology?

I don’t believe in “self-help” books. However, I have listened to many of Leo Buscaglia’s videos, which are still found online, and found them to make more sense. I’ve never bought one of his books, but I’m sure they reflect his talks. If you’re looking for good information, I’d recommend Leo.

“...the opposite of love is not hate -- it's apathy. It's not giving a damn. If somebody hates me, they must "feel" something ... or they couldn't possibly hate. Therefore, there's some way in which I can get to them.”

-- Leo F. Buscaglia

For some people, why is it that the more they grow up, the more they become stubborn?

We get set in our ways, comfortable with the routine. We don’t like change. Personally, I try to stay flexible but, then, people seem to go out of their way to try and piss me off. There’s a lot to be said for being stubborn.

If you can do anything without consequences for 1 year, what would you do?

Make passionate love with every woman I know. I like to share my good fortune.

I'm 20 years old, should I focus on work or go to university?

Why don’t you show how good you are and work while going to university? Or, join the military and go to university online. Or, take a major the military is in need of and have them pay you to go to school.

“The individual who says it is not possible should move out of the way of those doing it.” 

--Tricia Cunningham

Is it easier to stay depressed than to get better?

It’s always easier to wallow in self-pity than to work our way out of it. It’s so much better to just accept what happens as life. It probably has to do with a choice or decision we made, anyway, so we need to learn from our mistakes and make better choices and decisions. This does take some effort on our part, however.

I wish I had been born a girl but still like girls. What sexual position would that be?

A lesbian.

What lessons were learned from the 1929 crisis?

Expect the stock market to always correct itself. People committed suicide and the market corrected shortly afterward. It separated the weak from the herd, but what a waste.

“Why is panic in the stock market newsworthy? That's all they ever do! It must be easy to get hired as a stockbroker: 'Show me your panic face! You're hired!!”

-- Stewart Stafford

I feel like I lost interest in something that used to make me so happy and motivated. What should I do? If you recommend taking a break - no.

I was going to recommend Viagra or testosterone, but you seem to be after a particular answer. Of course, my answer only works for the men.

What makes you smile or sad?

A child’s sense of wonder makes me smile. Loss makes me sad. I cried my way through all of The Incredible Journey movies. My daughter would bring me a tissue. I’m just an old softie.

Why aren't all individuals with self-esteem and confidence protected from a narcissist?

Because they aren’t all that smart, it would seem.

“This story ["The Depressed Person"] was the most painful thing I ever wrote. It's about narcissism, which is a part of depression. The character has traits of myself. I really lost friends while writing on that story, I became ugly and unhappy and just yelled at people. The cruel thing with depression is that it's such a self-centered illness - Dostoevsky shows that pretty good in his "Notes from Underground". The depression is painful, you're sapped/consumed by yourself; the worse the depression, the more you just think about yourself and the stranger and repellent you appear to others.”

-- David Foster Wallace

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 volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com