Questioning Value, Impulses, Purpose, and Wit

What are the 5 essential steps you can do to become a person of value?

Love yourself. Be truly happy always and in all things. Be selfless in all you do. Have a good personal code of ethics you stand by. Be a light in the darkness.

No one can give your life value, except you. You have to love yourself before you can truly love others. You have to be truly happy in order to make others happy. You have to be selfless in everything, wanting nothing in return for what you give, but not to the point of being used. 

Stand by your good, moral, personal code of ethics, as it defines who and why you are to those around you. And, be the light of wisdom, faith, and hope, for those who are struggling with theirs, or have lost all.

What creates self-growth?

Anything you do to move forward down your path. Knowledge, work, mentoring, selfless giving, and the like, are all contributors to self-growth, and to self-worth.

What is the reward for hard work?

This is monetarily situational. However, for those of us old enough to remember how we were brought up, “Hard work is its own reward.” As I approach 70 years of age, I still look forward to some day-long mindless yardwork. There is something about breaking a sweat that is satisfying to me.

Do you believe that if you do not know yourself, and know yourself very well, you will make wrong decisions in life? Is knowing yourself ever a final thing? How do you relate to people who seem not to know themselves? Or doesn't it matter?

I think knowing yourself is crucial to finding true happiness. You have to know yourself to love yourself, and you can’t truly love others if you don’t love yourself. I’m finding new things about myself all the time, so knowing is not final.

I smile when I meet people who don’t know themselves. They wear their mask, like baggy underwear, uncomfortable and always being adjusted. I simply smile and take them under my wing, peeling back the layers of reality until I find them and they state, “I did not know that about myself.”

Author's comment: Grand! I’m interested in that same thing you refer to. The difference, and the interaction, between a person who is a constant student of himself and the person who knows little about himself. I believe that a person who knows himself would never be anything but his genuine self if he could help it.

What is your definition of success? Do you believe you will become successful? Why or why not?

True happiness. It isn’t something you can find. It is a choice all of us must make for our lives. Because it is a conscious choice, it is sustainable. I strive to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of my circumstances. To feel any other way is simply not constructive to a full life.

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

-- Winston S. Churchill

What are some of the evidence of success that begins in the form of thought impulses?

If you attain anything, other than someone dropping millions of dollars in your lap, the goal you attained started out as a thought. If you consider what you’ve attained as “success” then you must have had the thought in mind.

Has today added anything of value to your stock of knowledge or state of mind? Can you share?

The coffee needs another scoop of grounds in order to taste more robust, and the “tighty-whities” I wore to bed became baggy overnight. Both, are valuable knowledge. 

Why don't we know who can help us?

Because we don’t pay attention. Truth be known, the only one who can help us is us. Others can offer us their opinions and information, but it is up to us to accept what they say and put it into action.

How important is it to believe in personal success?

Success is happiness in life. As such, it is very important to one’s personal mental wellbeing. Attaining any other goal is simply counterproductive to a happy life. 

Are there some jobs that can pay me without doing anything?

Have you ever tried not doing anything? Imagine yourself as “third base” and ask yourself how long you can just lay there. I consider doing absolutely nothing a job I wouldn’t want, besides the fact that no one will pay you for doing nothing unless they're a total idiot with nothing but money to throw away on “third base” just being there.  Go on the welfare rolls.  They'll pay you for doing absolutely nothing but being a dreg on society as you suck from the public teat you put absolutely nothing into.

“I don't believe anything's really inevitable until it happens. We just call it inevitable to make ourselves feel better about it, to excuse ourselves for not having done anything.”

-- Lauren Willig

 Did the term “never give up” ever seem like something that makes people stubborn?

Absolutely. But, the only thing wrong with stubbornness is if you let it rule your life. I know many people who take their stubbornness in stride, but they also know when to let it go. 

How can one shut down the flow of negative impulses?

I’ve tried this, and the best I can do is put dampening fields up. I feel the impulse and try to get on top of it before I put my mouth in motion. With the unbelievable number of dumbasses out there, this becomes a full-time activity. I am significantly proud of myself, though.

What do you think you can do great things in one minute? Just 60 seconds? Do you think that is possible?

If you can hug a person who really needs a hug, then yes. 

What is not always good?

Pasta. As a Sicilian, it really takes talent to get the pasta and the sauce just right. One secret is to make the sauce at least a day ahead and let it sit in the fridge so the flavors can mellow. This is especially true if using ground red pepper. The heat will significantly mellow overnight. I jokingly tell people to make their sauce ahead of time and let the ingredients in it “rot” overnight. This is a good idea for any rich food.

What are some things that "made all the difference"?

Love, sex, chocolate chip ice cream, triple chocolate cake, sex, women with great legs and stiletto high heels, quiet time by a country stream, wildflowers, sex, and so much more. Did I mention sex?

“Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.”

-- William Arthur Ward

What are the critical upsides to embracing the difficulty of your purpose?

There are critical upsides? For one thing, I have no difficulty embracing my purpose. It is what it is until it isn’t. The critical downside, however, is allowing any unwanted drama to fog your mind. Keep any drama from your life and choose to strive for true happiness always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances or perceived “difficulty” of your purpose.

Is greatness, by definition, out of reach for the vast majority of us, or is it just that so few people truly pursue it?

I think few people truly pursue it. I know that I never had any intention of pursuing greatness. If it happened, so be it, but I had no intention of going out of my way for it. With greatness comes great responsibility, and I had enough of that in my life.

Can you realistically evaluate yourself?

I hope so, or I’m not half the man I think I am.

How can you determine what, when, how, and where your next huge experience is going to emerge from?

If it’s that “huge” then I must desire the experience. If I desire it, then I must know when, where, and how, it will occur. If I don’t, then it is a surprise, which negates any determination on my part.

How do you manage to sustain courage and a positive mind in challenging circumstances?

Military training. You learn to set fear aside and summon up the courage to persevere in the face of overwhelming odds.

“In paying attention to our wellbeing, we address the needs of our environment - the society that we live in and our planet. Sustainability depends on community - when we learn to be happily reliant on each other, we're less likely to turn to material consumption to meet our emotional needs.”

-- Louisa Thomsen Brits

Do I really need to prove somebody something about who I am all the time?

Only if you feel that unsure of yourself. Personally, I am who I am, and if people don’t like me it is their loss. There is nothing I can do for them. I have nothing to prove about who I am, to anyone, and certainly not all the time. Only the “League of the Perpetually Offended” would ever think I should, and I totally ignore them.

Why do you find a practice you enjoy (or imagine you might enjoy)?

Uh… because I enjoy it. Is this another one of those trick questions?

What influenced your success?

Life’s success is based on true happiness, not on attaining goals. True happiness is a choice. I strive to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of my circumstances. So, it follows that true happiness influenced my successful life.

Can a person survive with wit or money?

A lot of “comedians” are living paycheck to paycheck, so a snappy wit doesn’t seem to cut it.

Does it make you smart when you start focusing on the very important thing that someone told you to focus on?

I’d be smart if I were to be focussing on the “very important thing” before I was told to. This sounds like something an "intelligent" person would have to be told.

“Talent is intelligent, brilliance is clever, genius is wise.”

-- Matshona Dhliwayo

 

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, finally, a senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Western 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 the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

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