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.
No where in there is defeatism. In fact, the converse is true: This is actually the path to success. We do our level best in all our endeavors, then we let God give us the results.
God is about to give you the results:
I am with you on this! Tourism has started in southern Utah. Virtually every person that walks into our business is of the same opinion. People that formerly were kissing his skinny ass are waking up. Of course the 20-30 age group are still dreaming.
...the failings of Free Republic...how to run the forum...his own direction...Don't stress this so hard. It is what it is, and you have no power...Just suit up, show up, color in within the lines, and enjoy what you can in the forum...live within the boundaries, without complaint and grateful...
...a good life lesson...struggle mightily...only to find that we have made utterly no difference...We..have tiny...brains. What makes us believe we know best, how our reality should be?...It is clear we do not know what it is that will make us prosper.
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...
...directions we believe the forum should go...You shouldn't even try.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
No sale!
I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin
No problem. Not trying to convince you otherwise.
I’d hit Laz...even when he navel gazes...
FR is the BEST site for breaking news and thought-provoking commentary - of which your current post is a prime example. It has the unique ability to piss me off and cheer me up at the same time.
Keep it up, Laz! You da man!!
(and please add me to your ping/pong list.... 78?, 79? and counting)
79 Satisfied Customers!
LOVE THIS.
God sees way farther ahead than we can, so we just have to let go at some point and trust.
As for FR, I’m happy to show up and have fun. Jim has the place firmly in hand and knows where he wants to go with it. If I ever have the urge to tell him how to run it, I’ll put down the bong and stifle myself.
Hey, fellow noob! Or troll, or whatever, LOL
Troob.
LOL
Noll?
Correction: 81.
“Troob.” Noll?
GMTA
Mmmm, carrot cake crumbs! But next time, how about some NY cheesecake crumbs, with cherry remnants?
Now back on point.
Some of the things that make (and have made) FR far superior to all other sites are:
1. The crisp, clean reading environment. No flash, no blinking lights (except for the infernal thing that winks at you in post 1 during fundraisers)
2. Lack of avatars (PLEASE don’t ever, ever start using avatars! They are just a way for people to pretend to be something they aren’t.)
3. The ping system and FReepmail system. Most sites don’t have these and it’s impossible to follow replies to your own posts. FR is far superior in that regard.
Those are, of course, in addition to the great minds that FR hosts here.
Now some gripes:
1. We want Jim Robinson back! This Thompson guy is okay, but he’s like Mike after Joel left MST3K. He’s mildly amusing, but not the same. Bring back Robinson!
2. I want to roll back the clock to FR 1999! Remember when we could ruin a whole thread by leaving tags open? I wanna be bold! I want my Italians back!
3. I want A+Bert back. He was a lot of fun.
Those are my demands. Feel free to place in the circular file. :-)
I hate grassy nolls.
bookmarking
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