Questioning Motivation, Ethics, Success, Cheating, and Goals

 

“Of course, motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis.”

-- Zig Ziglar

Why is it that whenever I am excited about something I sometimes subconsciously ask myself what's the point of it if it's gonna end/gonna wear out/gonna be destroyed at the end of the day to an extent where it ruins my mood and demotivates me?

You take your critique to an extreme. I’d be happy that my excitement didn’t make me wet myself. Everything ends. Everything is going to wear out or be destroyed. We will all die, sooner or later, but you worry about minutia. Change is the only true constant in the universe. The best we can hope for is to take care of what we have so it lasts longer.

I’m painfully tired and bored. I have no motivation to do anything and want to sleep all the time. Nothing is fun or makes me happy. What do I do? I can't stand it anymore.

Well, trolling the streets is out.

I have a loving family, the things that I want, a nice house, and good things. Why am I still unhappy and depressed to the point where I harm myself? I have no motivation to do anything.

Right off the bat, you’re wrong. You have the motivation to harm yourself. Happiness is a simple choice. Choose to be happy. Choose to strive for true happiness always and in all things, regardless of your perceived circumstances. This choice should be the impetus for your motivation to be truly happy. If there is one thing in life that is sustainable, it should be true happiness. Because, once you make the choice, happiness will be sustained until you rescind that choice, which would be counterproductive to happiness. 

Are cheetahs cunning?

If they want to eat, they better be. Speed isn’t all that, as they find out most of the time. 

I have a loving family, the things that I want, a nice house, and good things. Why am I still unhappy and depressed to the point where I harm myself? I have no motivation to do anything.

Right off the bat, you’re wrong. You have the motivation to harm yourself. 

Happiness is a simple choice. Choose to be happy. Choose to strive for true happiness always and in all things, regardless of your perceived circumstances. This choice should be the impetus for your motivation to be truly happy. If there is one thing in life that is sustainable, it should be true happiness. Because, once you make the choice, happiness will be sustained until you rescind that choice, which would be counterproductive to happiness.

“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”

-- Abraham Lincoln

I have a loving family, the things that I want, a nice house, and good things. Why am I still unhappy and depressed to the point where I harm myself? I have no motivation to do anything.

Right off the bat, you’re wrong. You have the motivation to harm yourself. Happiness is a simple choice. Choose to be happy. Choose to strive for true happiness always and in all things, regardless of your perceived circumstances. This choice should be the impetus for your motivation to be truly happy. If there is one thing in life that is sustainable, it should be true happiness. Because, once you make the choice, happiness will be sustained until you rescind that choice, which would be counterproductive to happiness.

Define management in one sentence?

Ensuring everyone is in an appropriate position and that everything runs according to the master plan while making appropriate changes, as needed, to ensure it does.

I feel like my brain is thinking about everything in my life at once but nothing at the same time. I feel stressed, sad, and confused. What am I going through?

Puberty… or, menopause. How old are you?

At 34, is it too late to go and find my way in life?

I should have waited till I was 34 to have children. I would have been a better parent. I think, at 34, you have lived enough life to get on down your chosen path. But, I wouldn’t wait much longer, or “life” will pass you by.

What are the things that make you feel proud, and do you consider pride as an evil energy?

My children make me proud, and I see no evil in being proud of your children.

“All of our ancestors give us the precious gift of life. Do we use it wisely? Do we use it well? Do we make a name for ourselves and for our children of which we can be proud?”

-- Laurence Overmire

How do you make fewer decisions each day?

Stay in bed longer.

Why do I get lazy when I don't reach the results I set for myself?

Has it occurred to you that, maybe, you don’t reach the results you set for yourself because you’re lazy?  

Which type of question requires no answer but action?

“Is the bomb supposed to be counting down?”

Is the use of psychological manipulation in marketing ethical and how can consumers be protected from these manipulative techniques?

By “psychological manipulation” you mean marketing. The entire point of marketing is manipulation. To make you want to own it. If consumers are protected from this technique, companies will go broke. They rely on the weak-minded among us, in order to stay in business. 

Does understanding lead to happiness?

I would think you’d have to understand what happiness is to realize when you arrive.   But, I could be wrong. 

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”

-- Albert Camus

What do we need to be successful?

Success is choosing true happiness for your life. Everything else is attaining goals. Make the logical choice.

Can acceptance of a great challenge lead to success?

It can lead to attaining the goal, or not. Success, however, is in finding true happiness in life, which we should have discovered before we accepted any other challenges. You can attain a plethora of goals and happiness can still elude you.

What can I do to make money and live life to the fullest?

If you’re over 21, the "oldest profession" comes to mind, and, if you're creative, it can fulfill both desires.

Is it true that our self-thoughts function as a commander, and what unknown beneficial factors do our self-thoughts have in order to become greater?

I believe so. You are in charge of your life based on the choices and decisions you make. The only boundaries are the ones set in place by laws, which you choose to adhere to, or those set by yourself. Other than those boundaries, the benefit of self-thought is that it is limitless, and, being limitless, there is no height that you can’t reach if you have the wherewithal. 

Did you ever feel that no matter how hard you tried, you will never reach your vision? What can you do about it? Shrink the vision?

Your solution is a good guess. Or, you can change the vision entirely. Maybe it’s simply the wrong vision for you.

“What looks out of reach may only be a few steps away. Keep going.”

-- Robert Celner

What is happiness for different people?

Different, but the same.

A teacher accidentally misheard my name and called me by another name and now my friend keeps calling me by that name and it pisses me off, what can I do?

Punch your so-called friend, every time they call you that. Punch them hard. Tell them your "friends" don't act like dumbasses or they get punched.  Or, you can simply ask them to stop.  Good luck with that.

Have you ever accidentally caught someone cheating?

On a love interest or a test?

Is it possible to change one's destiny or are our destinies pre-determined?

If you think you “changed” your destiny, how do you know this new destiny wasn’t your original destiny all along? Our “destiny” is what we make it through our choices, decisions, thoughts, actions, or inactions, which drive us to our ultimate destination. If you see the writing on the wall, you always have the choice to change your path. It is your free will, and your destiny, to do so.

What is a person called who acts like they care, but they really don't?

A “real piece of work.” An ass. A hypocrite. A liar that really has no empathy. My ex-wife. Am I close?

“Often people that say they “don’t care” actually do. The moment they discuss you with their friends and family, compete with you, bad mouth you to others, or react to anything you do or say is when they give themselves away. You can either be saddened or flattered that you affected someone so much. The perspective is yours to determine.”

-- Shannon L. Alder

How important is a daily reflection in achieving one’s personal goals?

Personal goals are no different than business goals. If you don’t reflect on what has been accomplished, how do you know what is left to be attained? If you don’t reflect on your work, how do you rate the quality of it? If you don’t reflect on any issues, how will you correct them or rise above them? Daily reflection is a way to stay on track, ensure quality is maintained, and make changes if necessary.

What does the phrase "time takes time" mean?

Time stops for no one… until time runs out. There will always be time… until there isn’t.

What activities should we pursue in order to foster self-confidence in our lives, and why?

Martial arts. It requires discipline and self-confidence. The fact that it also entails ceremony and meditation should not be lost on those seeking self-confidence, especially for those older folks.

What if being alone and all that is driving you crazy?

Make a friend or join a dating site.

What are the benefits of accepting our past?

You won’t sound like a dumbass when you deny it. Rewriting the past doesn’t change the past. It is what it is, and those who try to rewrite the facts to suit some sick agenda should be ashamed. We learn from what was done in our past. If we change the facts, we learn nothing and are doomed to repeat the sins of our forefathers. Good or bad, history is what it is. Instead of rewriting it, how about teaching it. 

“Sometimes the only way to get closure is by accepting that you'll never get it.”

-- John Mark Green

I have definitely had difficulties in the past. Why is it people want to take credit for my accomplishments?

Because you’re that good, and it sounds like you let them. I’d be asking them, in front of everyone, in their face, why they take credit for what you’ve done. If they want the credit they need to bust their ass and do the work.

Why does a child act out when he gets scared by an adult?

They’re too small to punch the adult in the nads with any force to teach a lesson. 

What does it mean to be in your own Fate?

They’re stating the obvious because they seem to think you need a clue to get out of their fate and pay attention to your own.

What is the meaning of the phrase, “Do what makes you happy, life’s way too short not to.”?

It means just what it says. Don’t spend your life struggling at something that you’re not happy doing. You won’t be fulfilled. Better to be poor and happy, than wealthy and miserable. If you can find both, happiness and wealth, you will have attained the “daily double” in life.

What are some tips for dealing with being cheated on?

Leave them, immediately. It won’t stop. They don’t love you. Get a clue. 

“Cheating and lying aren't struggles, they're reasons to break up.”

-- Patti Callahan Henry

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. 

I fervently 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