Questioning Rules, Torture, and Risk

 

“One can be a prisoner at home in one's own bed as well as in a penitentiary.”

-- Marty Rubin

What are the rules for living your life?

Have a personal moral code of ethics and strive to abide by them. Work hard at a job you love. Have faith in something. Never lose hope. And, most important, learn to be truly happy at all times and in all things. True happiness, rich or poor, will usually carry you through. If you can’t find true happiness when you’re poor, how will you find it when you’re rich?

How long did you practice before you became perfect?

No one is perfect, and if they say they are, they’re lying. They can be levels of excellent, but never levels of perfect.

What actions do you do to prevent self-sabotage in your lifestyle?

I strive to think before I act.

“Resistance by definition is self-sabotage.”

-- Steven Pressfield

What is the reason why life has to torture the simple, the meek, and the gentle?

When it does, I think it's because people mistakenly see them as easy targets. I love when “the simple, the meek, and the gentle” rise up to kick a little ass, then go back to being meek, simple, or gentle. It keeps everyone on their toes, or they get humbled.

Author comment:  Hello, Mr. Villari. Thanks for the answer to my question. It's was helpful. In this case, life gets so tough and rough even when I try so much. Is there any advice you would want to share with me? I've worked so hard but it seems not to be working out. I've always wished to make my mum proud of me. She's getting old and it's my responsibility to look after her and my siblings now.

My reply:  First off, if you’re taking care of her, she is proud of you. I know this because I take care of mine. They appreciate it. Second, if you’re trying hard and it doesn’t seem to work out, stop trying so hard. Sometimes we put ourselves under stress for no reason, and this seems to be where you are, working with no results. Relax and take a breath. If you’re getting nowhere, then make the conscious choice to be happy always, even in the face of adversity. Now, sit back and look at all you’re doing. Make a list if you have to. Ask yourself why things on your list aren’t working, then take them one at a time and fix them. You aren’t failing, you just aren’t recognizing failure as an opportunity to learn.

People say to go find the right one, but can I be the right one for myself?

Absolutely. Learn to love yourself first, then go out and find the other “right” one.

Should I do what I know how to do or I should be doing what I don't know?

If you’re doing what you don’t know, I sure don’t want to be around you. You should be doing what you do know and/or learning how to do what you don’t know. You will probably fail at doing what you don’t know, and that failure will be the opportunity for you to learn.

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”

-- Aristotle

How do you make time for yourself? Why do I need to?

Time is already a human construct that really doesn’t exist. You would be better served to remember to set aside a moment of this “construct” for yourself. We all need to take better care of ourselves so we can take better care of others, “put on your oxygen mask, first, before assisting the passenger next to you.”

How did you accept that you were doing nothing and you were waiting for things to happen in your life?

I’ve never had that problem. Except for one time in my life, I have always made things happen. The one time I did nothing, I found myself deep in a divorce when I finally chose to take control.

Why do I have a strong feeling or guts that my purpose in life is to make an invention that will last forever in history?

You have discovered your purpose. Now, go discover the invention.

“Whenever you become anxious or stressed, outer purpose has taken over, and you lost sight of your inner purpose. You have forgotten that your state of consciousness is primary, all else secondary.”

-- Eckhart Tolle

What are the differences and similarities between being talented and being destined?

Your talent might be as a concert violinist. Your destiny may be to take a penthouse suite on the top floor in a hotel that burns and you cripple and burn your arms and hands due to your choice to save numerous others from the burning hotel on your way down.

Is it okay to let success go to your head?

No. This is usually when disaster strikes.

What risks should people try to avoid?

Life-threatening risks.

“We have real confidence in the mission, and there are some risks, but we have every intention of coming back.”

-- Neil Armstrong

Can lying destroy your relationship if your partner always lies?

Do two wrongs make a right? If one of them always lies, why are they still in a relationship? I’d be looking for an honest one.

Do you want to live in a truly inclusive world?

A truly inclusive world would accept evil along with good, which is counterproductive to inclusiveness. Evil would seek to destroy it. The evidence can be found in Islamic terrorism, which so not all-inclusive. No, there must be the rule of law, and laws, by their nature, seek to punish wrongdoers and the evil in society in order to protect the good and the innocent.

Why would you easily change the old way for the new in your life or not?

If the new way was proven to be better for me, I would readily change. But, then, I accept that change is the only true constant in the universe, so I expect to handle change daily.

“Now naturally, like many of us, I have a reluctance to change too much of the old ways. But there is no virtue at all in clinging as some do to tradition merely for its own sake.”

-- Kazuo Ishiguro

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