Questioning Life, Dreams, and Failing

“Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.”

-- Roy T. Bennett

What's the hardest part of creating life the way you want it?

Finding someone compatible to share it with.

Can you name one thing you own but don't know you own it?

Well, how in God’s name would you like me to do that? If I can name the one thing I own, then I must know I own it. Is this another trick question?

Can positive thinking and reasoning change you from poor to rich, and fulfill the purpose of life?

Positive thinking can fulfill the purpose of life, changing you from poor to rich in happiness. Money, however, has little to do with life’s purpose and nothing to do with true happiness. Fulfill your true happiness and you will find that money is so secondary to it.

“Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.”

-- Roy T. Bennett

What commitments have you made to become a future global leader?

None. I do not have the patience to be a “global leader” of this disagreeable, miserable, intolerant, ignorant, suicidal, and perpetually offended rabble. I’d rather strive to be happy always.

Which is worse, failing or never trying? What are you most grateful for?

Never trying. Failure is simply an opportunity to learn. I’m grateful for my children and my grandchildren. Children are our legacy.

What are the best ways to move on and forget about an unachievable lifelong dream?

If it’s truly unachievable, why would you waste time remembering it for anything more than the lesson it presented? You now have knowledge concerning your limitations. Good. Now, file the information in the basement five-drawer and press on to those dreams that are more achievable.

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

-- Paulo Coelho

Why do I need God to live a fulfilled life?

You don’t. But, now it’s too late to just be happy always. You’ve asked the question. Now it’s in your head and only you can answer it. If you deny God, will your life be fulfilled? Now you will always wonder, unless you completely shut it out, and forget you completely shut it out. But, sooner or later, you’ll pass a place of worship. The memory will return.

Whatchya thinking now?

How did you go about rising above your oppression?

I refuse to let myself be “subjected to harsh and authoritarian treatment” without my consent. I consented to let the military subject me to it in order to graduate from Basic Military Training. But, after that, not so much. Okay, maybe the occasional “role-playing” but, that's it.

What are the top 6 things that matter in life?

Air, water, food, shelter, clothing, and companionship.

“As one old gentleman put it, " Son, I don't care if you're stark nekkid and wear a bone in your nose. If you kin fiddle, you're all right with me. It's the music we make that counts.”

-- Robert Fulghum

What is one rule that cannot be broken?

Never violate your personal set of moral ethics.

Is life really as hard as people make it out to be?

No, it’s as hard as you choose it to be. Life is all about making choices. Make the right ones.

What are your top 14 rules to succeed in life?

Be happy always, don’t complain, be selfless, be humble, follow a personal moral code of ethics, get an education, read, learn your trade, focus, work harder than others, always be on time, live a simple life, stay out of debt, invest and save.

"There are two riles for success: 1. Never tell everything you know."

-- Roger H. Lincoln

Have you ever wanted something but didn't know why, and even if you had it, you wouldn't know what to do with it or what you'd hope to achieve having it?

Yeah, but I can’t even remember her name. 

Should we criticize our society or be grateful?

Criticize it when they’re wrong, praise them when they’re right. This is why we have freedom of speech, for the time being, and why socialism should never be allowed to flourish.

What are some life lessons you learned after age 30?

Don’t get married until age 30. Don’t ever go into debt. Start investing and saving when you’re young, like 18. You won’t be prepared to parent until you’re 30, so keep it in your pants. Find a job you really love doing well. Strive to be happy at all times.

"Everything I know I learned after I was thirty."

-- Georges Clemenceau

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