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.
Turns out he understood better than me.
Proud of you, Laz.
I don’t I could have passed the same test.
You are practicing what you preach, the hardest job in the world.
No lie. Glad to see old stubborn Laz can learn a thing or two.
Um.
Wow.
O, and also, do not be too hard on fml. They are doing the best they can with the tools they have.
LOL! O I hear ya!
Say, just a question, some people experience it, others don't. Any experiences when you were 'dead'?
Yeah, the first half of the lesson definitely needs to sink in before one can grasp the second half. If you had told me that then, it would only have confirmed my indignation. :)
So ... are you going to buy a new car, walk, or ride the bus? Heh. Maybe someone on the bus needs a new perspective ...
I won’t. I said what I needed to say. He can use it or lose it. And I don’t say that with malice.
Nope. Nothing at all for about 6 hours.
Waking up was painful though. Perceived nothing but the breathing and, er, drainage tubes. Coherent enough to fight the overwhelming urge to yank them out. Then noticed my hands were tied in anticipation.
Woke up during another lesser (orthoscopic) heart surgery. Told them it hurt. They didn’t like that.
I can literally walk to work; I have access to a major bus line for other activities; and I will save my pennies for a new (used) car that is nicer and MORE SECURE AGAINST THEFT! LOL!
Beautiful. You are growing!
That vixen! She betrayed me with YOU? Pistols at dawn, Senor....
“1 Unsatisfied Customer!™ “
the insatiable ones always are!
LOL!
Oh, how wrong THAT would have been.
Outstanding post.
Sorry about your car. (It was probly gonna break down tomorow anyway.)
That would be takin’ the “A” train.
LOL! The timing belt was about 9000 miles overdue, so you might be right! The thief might end up breaking down somewhere. Wouldn’t that be a laugh!
Feels good, doesn't it, to get to choose what you will expend all that energy on.
Posting back in the olden days of 1998, it was so unique to interact online with some really cool and smart people.
That was before FaceBook and all of that social networking stuff,and it was really the only place I felt comfortable.
I think my first thoughtful post, typed with caution, (tough crowd back then) was the always acceptable: “LOL”.
Oh the fun we had with pregnant chads...the good ole days!
It’s so addicting-right up there with ice cream for me. :)
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