Questions on Success, Nothing, and Fear

 

“We can regard our life as a uselessly disturbing episode in the blissful repose of nothingness.”

-- Arthur Schopenhauer

What are you really aiming at?

I ask myself this every time I pick up a rifle. The best answer I’ve come up with is the broadside of a barn.

Why are people afraid to leave their job for something that really gives them fulfillment even though they are not happy with their job?

I’d say fear, but, having worked with these folks, I’m going to say responsibility. Once you have bills to pay and mouths to feed it is hard to take the risk. A paycheck in the hand beats no paycheck at all or jumping from the frying pan into the fire. They may not like the new job any better, or worse. I think most feel they can tough it out until something firm comes along that they can jump on.

What are some life-changing destinations you’ve visited? Why did it have such a strong impact on you?

Turkey, the late 1970s. There were lepers, cripples, and the truly poor, begging on street corners, in the gutters, and the filth. Ever since I’ve had no sympathy for people in this country who panhandle. They simply have no idea.

“People will rather pass by the weak, the lame, the beggars, the orphans, the tormented, the widows and take their large offerings to church, to the man of God who already has a mansion and jets , what a shallow mindedness.”

-- Sunday Adelaja

Does adversity really bring success or is it a proverb to comfort people that are going through tough times?

If you learn nothing from it, adversity is what it is. If you want to understand “why” then it becomes an opportunity to learn.

Can you reinvent yourself at 43 and love the life you create?

I “reinvented” myself at 43, when I retired from the military. Yes, and I loved the life I created. My ex-wife, not so much, hence, the “ex” wife.

What's the most important personal quality?

A good sense of ethics.

“Mrs. Hopewell had no bad qualities of her own but she was able to use other people's in such a constructive way that she never felt the lack.”

-- Flannery O'Connor

What do people desire?

True happiness.

Is luck the major factor in becoming the best, or being more tactical and technical in decisions?

Luck is stating what you want and hoping it comes true while you pick your nose. No, along with hope it takes hard work, knowledge, and “tactical and technical” decision-making.

How do I calm my mind in 30 seconds?

Meditation. Start by closing your eyes in a quiet room and concentrate on counting backward from 100. When you get to 60 your mind should be calmer. Do this enough and the quiet room won’t be required. I don’t recommend doing this while walking or driving, however.

“Meditation is a way for nourishing and blossoming the divinity within you.”

-- Amit Ray

Is there a purpose behind nothingness? Can nothing be as meaningful as everything?

“Nothing” is actually “something” since it has been recognized. If you’re in a room full of people and you’d rather be alone, then no people, nothing, becomes very meaningful to you.

What is your take on this: "the easiest way to be at the top of your field, is to choose a very small field"?

Truer words were never spoken.

Is everything a place between 2 things?

Space is something, and it encompasses all things, so, no. However, space can be seen, in a narrow view, as a “place” between two things.

“Sometimes I think I live in a gap between two worlds, one world that I have to wake up to, be adherent of the rules and live in a place that is dictated by others. A place I sometimes feel the fear of aging and dying before I have figured out what it is I am here to do. 

That other world is sweet, fresh and misty, inviting adventure into the unknown, melding ancient wisdom with new discovery; the sunlight turning into moonlight and the spell of eternal life is never broken. 

Perhaps in that gap I should repair the forgotten bridge from one side to the other, but truth be told, I don't want to. I don't want to because I don't have the energy to fix what is broken within. I am a wild, wandering nomad, I belong everywhere and nowhere all at the same time, and in that gap between worlds, I am free.”

-- Riitta Klint

So maybe my life isn't really over - I'm just in a culture that is no good for me?

You also aren’t dead. Life isn’t over until it’s over, and the fact that you’re thinking you might be in the wrong culture is pretty good evidence that you’re still with us. I’d try making better choices and decisions.

What separates us?

Distance. 

Is there a tutorial for success?

The “tutorial” has six “chapters”: Goal, Motivation, Knowledge, Hard Work, Failure, and Perseverance. There’s also a disclaimer stating that the tutorial is no guarantee of success. This is where “motivation” and perseverance” come in handy.

“An elderly person who cannot see beneath the surface should donate his brain to a mechanic workshop for an experimental quick fix tutorial with apprentices.”

-- Vincent Okay Nwachukwu

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