The Origins and Meaning
of The Forum : fo·rum (fôrm, fr-) n. pl. fo·rums,
also fo·ra (fôr, fr)
A public meeting place for open discussion, from ancient Rome, a place from where orations were delivered to the people.
A medium of open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper or a radio or television program.
A public meeting or presentation involving a discussion usually among experts and often including audience participation.
A tribunal, court or assembly empowered to hear and decide causes.
Your Journey of Self Discovery...
Sooner or later everyone starts to ask questions about the nature of reality ... We are curious about who we are, the true nature of reality ... and what our place in it is.
Our search will usually take us to information, (like this site), including major religions, that suggest a 'wholeness' to reality; that everything is 'one'; that we are more than just flesh and blood.
Maybe we have all of the material comforts we desire, maybe we don't! We lead lives of quiet, (and at times noisy!), desperation, understanding nothing but the fact that there is a hole inside of us, and no matter how much food and drink we pour into it, however many material possessions we stuff it with, however many well-balanced children and loyal friends we parade around our lives ... it aches!
So where do we begin in the exploration of what makes us tick as individuals? Firstly there is the choosing to lift ourselves up from where we are, to where we would like to be. To do this we first need to have a fairly clear concept of just what we would like to be.
More assertive? More loving? Better able to attract a positive partner, or wonderful friends towards us? More recognising of our self worth, self respect? In balance and able to cope with daily living without flying off the handle or 'spinning out' when things go wrong? Understanding ourselves as both a spiritual and physical individual? Understanding attunement with all that is.
Knowing how to place our boundaries and limits with others, and understand theirs? These are but a few of the changes you might choose to make within your life.......
Every little thing we do, even every thought we have sends out a ripple of energy into our environment and beyond. If our thoughts and actions are positive then it is not only ourselves who ultimately benefit from our work. Every time we recognise our worth, look ourselves in the eye and say, 'I am special', every time we put a hand or a smile out to another, we make a difference to the whole. As we become happier, more confident, more self aware, other people notice. They are influenced by what we do. Sometimes these influences are obvious, other times, more subtle. It will depend on the other person's willingness to accept and create change within their own lives. Children can be taught new ways of being, by observing the changes in their parents.
We give them tools for their growth. If we recognise that energy does not die or stop, it just changes form, we can begin to understand how we can make an impression on the Earth itself and the universe beyond. The energy being given off by one person may appear insignificant, a drop in the passage of time. Yet when hundreds of like minded people are all releasing positive energy in some way, the drops become a trickle and the trickle a torrent. Never under estimate the power of change you hold, and never stop believing in yourself!....
The Map Is Not The Territory ... each of us has a map inside our head that describes the things outside our head. The maps inside our head represent the territory outside our head. These maps tell us not only where things are, but what they are, and whether or not we like them. This idea of a map inside the head is very useful for considering the way we relate to each other and to the outside world, however it is flawed, and much time is wasted in disputes over matters of opinion (e.g. football is better than ballet), that cannot be resolved because there is no question of true or false when it comes to subjective statements and certainly most people simply do not know how to draw reasonable conclusions from the evidence presented, at most, all we have been taught in our schooling is what to think, not HOW to think.
On the Forum you will be taught the lessons you should have been taught at school but weren't. You will learn how to think, as your thinking clearly effects the quality of your life. When you think clearly, you see more options and opportunities, your relationships will improve and you'll also discover that when you apply clear thinking to the problems you face each day, that you suffer less distress and find greater happiness and success.
