Posted on 05/11/2012 5:04:25 AM PDT by Lazamataz
How do you take over Free Republic? You can't. You shouldn't even try,
Recently, a friend came to me with what he perceived to be the failings of Free Republic. I wrote back: "....JR is really not interested in people advising him on how to run the forum. He's had success with his own direction.......Seriously man. Don't stress this so hard. It is what it is, and you have no power over other people/places/things. Hell, you don't even have power over YOURSELF. That's GOD'S power. Just suit up, show up, color in within the lines, and enjoy what you can in the forum. You know what's off limits. So do I. I live within the boundaries, without complaint and grateful for my blessings."
It is a good life lesson, using Free Republic as the catalyst. How many of us struggle mightily against the circumstances in our life, only to find that we have made utterly no difference? Maybe we have even made things worse, for our interference. We human beings have tiny little three-pound brains. What makes us believe we know best, how our reality should be? Often, what we believe is best for us, turns out to nearly kill us. Similarly, that which we believe is horrible for us, turns out to change us, positively, for the best. It is clear we do not know what it is that will make us prosper.
Many of us live in a perpetual state of anxiety or fear, or regret or remorse. These are wasted emotions. These emotions sap your energy and have no positive effect. Regret and remorse are utterly incapable of changing the past, and since we truly cannot know what is good or bad for us, how can we profit from fear or anxiety? It is best if we leave the particulars of our lives to the will of our God, however we understand Him.
This suggestion works well for atheists, too, since all of us have a God of our understanding. Perhaps, for the atheist, their God is an impersonal and uncaring universe. It still works. Let the results be decided by someone or something other than yourself. When we stop trying to control events around us, much better things come to pass than we had ever envisioned.
This is not to say we don't participate. We do. We show up every day, and we do the next right thing. This is not to say we don't make plans. We do. We are simply willing to get out of the way should the God of our understanding have something better in store for us. In my experience, when I get out of the way of God, the most amazing things happen to me. When I try to control some things, my fat sausage-fingers manage to make it much worse.
Back to the topic of this forum: We all have directions we believe the forum should go. Yet, if we did succeed in altering the forum's direction, we might end up destroying it outright.
So, how do you take over Free Republic? You can't. You shouldn't even try.
Very good post.
However, don't expect results from every effort you try to change FR--it's won;t happen.
The numbered satisfied customers thing is a bit disturbing to me. lol. /sarcasm
If anyone tells you how Free Republic should be run, simply point them here, to "How To Take Over Free Republic."
LOL!
73 Satisfied Customers, 1 Unsatisfied Customer!™
Thank you, kind sir!
I agree, and mentioned that we should not stop participating. Like you said, don't get invested in the results. Those aren't in your control.
Hear! here!
I’m late to the party - as usual. Is there an attempt to change FR? Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!
Keeping FreeRepublic free.
Right on, Laz.
Our arms are too short to box with God. His ways are not our ways, but they are perfect in all respects.
Still a satisfied customer.
—The numbered satisfied customers thing is a bit disturbing to me.—
Yeah. Does the thread have a “happy ending”. ;-)
24 x 7 x 365
(in the high school Mitt Romney bully sense, of course).
Can’t change something tat works so well.
Anyone can change Free Republic.
Go here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/manage-blocks
Or here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/my/settings
Change you can believe in.
LOL
Leave it to you.
LOL
Just suit up, show up, color in within the lines, and enjoy what you can in the forum.
BTTT
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