Questioning Who We Are

“Somehow, we'll find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and who we need to be. But for now, we simply have to be satisfied with who we are.”

-- Brandon Sanderson

How important is it for you to be able to define yourself?

Not very. Whenever I think I have me down, I find something new. Understanding I am what I am is less important than knowing why, and I probably won’t know that, either, for several more lives. I am, and I have a code of ethics, and, for me, this is enough. I’d rather continue to strive for happiness always than waste more time searching for my definition.

Why do they say 'pride comes before a fall'?

I think, if you’re winning, you risk falling prey to “pridefulness” and take your eyes off the prize. You stop giving it 100% because you think you’re that good. Tyrants seem to always fall due to thinking they’re all that.

Do external forces, or circumstances, always triumph over everything in the world?

Not always. It helps when people allow it to happen, by choice, though. You can fight the external forces, just as you can change your circumstances, but you have to make a conscious choice to do so. Or, you can sit back and blame the world.

There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness, and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that, I have complete control.

-- Leo Buscaglia 

How do you find your real potential inside?

Make the choice, the conscious choice, to be more than you are. Rise above your circumstances, work toward a chosen goal, and strive to be happy always while standing by your moral and ethical code.

How can I stay and remain positive in a world of obvious uncertainty?

Choose to do so. You recognize the uncertainty; it is what it is until it isn’t. You can do nothing to improve it, you can wallow in a pit of despair, or you can make the choice to remain positive and improve your circumstances. Nothing is truly guaranteed. Everything is uncertain, but, by making good choices we can steer our life in a direction we’d like it to go.

Who do you go to when you feel lost and broken?

It doesn’t happen often, but when it does I fall back on faith and ask my God for the strength to get through the troubled times.

"Feeling unsure and lost is part of your path. Don't avoid it. See what those feelings are showing you and use it. Take a breath. You'll be okay. Even if you don't feel okay all the time."

-- Louis C.K.

If you were to truly believe or think you’re not a person, what would happen to you?

I would probably waste my life believing or thinking I’m not a person and, therefore, accomplishing little in life. Believing you’re not what you are is counterproductive.

Being a firefighter is what you do, and you’re damned good at it. You can be an artist, but deep down inside, you know you’re a damned good firefighter. Art is a hobby you’re good at, but firefighting is what you do. To do anything but what you’re born to do would be a waste of talent, and you will always know this.

You’re a person. You were born a damned good person. To be anything else, or have someone force you to be anything else, is a waste of, not only what you are, but of who you are. Better you should just strive to be happy always and not trot around on your hands and knees barking like the dog you think you are.

When everything seems to fail, what do you do to make it work?

Well, if everything seems to fail, the question would indicate it hasn’t, but it just seems like it has. Those things that haven’t really failed are still working so, “Ta-da!” Ensure they keep working.

Do you think that when other nations commit cyberattacks, such as ransomware attacks, they are using "weapons of mass destruction"?

If a nuclear weapon, a WMD, can take down a dam, but a cyber attack can take down every dam in a country, I’d have to say, yes.

“Fortunately, time travel does not exist. With it, the human race would try to solve past mistakes in isolation, erase any knowledge gleaned from making them, and create a chain reaction of unforeseen consequences. These could destroy the past, along with the present and future simultaneously. Time itself could become the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.”

-- Stewart Stafford

Are there any tips for choosing the right college major so as not to cause regrets in the future?

Major in something you’re interested in, and love doing. If regret sets in, hey, go back to school and try again.

What differences exist between self-discovery and self-development?

I think “self-discovery” would be discovering the skills you already have, or who you already are. “Self-development” would be learning new skills in order to be more than you are. 

Are you or are you not your thoughts?

I am so not my thoughts. If I were, I’d be arrested for numerous acts viewed as either exotic, extreme, or outside the subjective norms of society.

“There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.”

-- Elizabeth Gilbert

 

 And... the short answers:

 

What are the negative reasons about education being the foundation of all success in life?

Three words: Critical Race Theory.

The secret of success can be the same?

As what?

How do I have deeper, more meaningful conversations with my significant other?

Be in love.

How do you prepare yourself to deal with an adverse change in your life?

Embrace that shit happens.

What things do I need to get ready for emancipation?

Your dancing shoes.

Why do so many people dislike shy people? I'm shy and I hate having to hear "stop being shy, I don't like that" or "shy women are undesirable". When did being shy become such a crime? I just feel more comfortable being the way I am.

People won’t change, including you.

All of my friends know that I’ve recently tested positive for covid but none of them have asked if I’m okay. It feels like they just don’t care. Are they really my friends?

Friends, or “really good” friends?

“True friends are those who came into your life, saw the most negative part of you, but are not ready to leave you, no matter how contagious you are to them.”

-- Michael Bassey Johnson

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