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[Updated February 5, 2015, to update due to the discontinuation of the Meetup Everywhere platform] One of the first things I did when joining the FDR community online, was to explore every nook of the FDR web site. I was elated to discover FDR was associated with Meetup and eagerly clicked the big blue 'Meetup Groups' button on the Community page. Having been involved in Meetups for over six years, what it meant to me was that there would likely be members of FDR in my geographical area. The prospect of meeting others from FDR face-to-face was both exciting and scary at the same time. At that time in my life, I had been listening to some of Stef's books and podcasts intermittently for about a year, but it wasn't until the fall of 2013 that I delved into it deeper. It had become overwhelmingly clear I had only scratched the surface of what was to come in my life. One of the first changes was the break-up of the 2+ year relationship I had been in and I also began to find it difficult to have the empty conversations with those in my daily round at the office. The only person I had meaningful conversations with at that time (and still do) was the person who introduced me to FDR which is my son. There had indeed been a shift in my thinking and reasoning and understanding of the world. I began to recognize that having people in one's life with whom you can have an honest and trusting relationship, whether it be as friends or romantically, would be the most worthwhile social endeavor. The question became how to meet them. Where were these people out there in the world that I could talk with openly and have meaningful conversations? They were right there...in FDR; in the forum, in the chatroom, opening their hearts on podcasts, and reaching out through Meetup. Each one comes with it's own method of communication and interaction. I embraced each form of interaction, and with each one, my self-knowledge over the months has grown. Learning more about myself couldn't be avoided once I opened my mind and heart and let in the people I began to meet there. Of course, the pursuit of self-knowledge is ongoing and will be a lifelong process. The interaction I've come to embrace the most in the FDR community is Meetup. I had attended several types of Meetups over the past few years, ranging from dance lessons to hiking, and had been a past assistant organizer while living in Texas for a year, so it's something I was already familiar with. At that time, the Meetup Everywhere platform was still in place; however, effective December 1, 2014, Meetup.com discontinued the feature. While people can still set up a Meetup group on the Meetup.com site, it does cost a monthly fee. The other option for those who want to organize an FDR Meetup group has been to use other social media for news and postings about their group such as Facebook. If you're looking to find and meet FDR members who reside within a close enough geographical area to meet face-to-face, take time to check for FDR Meetup groups in your area; using the Meet n Greet section of the forum here on the FDR Board, Meetup, or Facebook. Otherwise, you might not realize an FDR member lives right in your neighborhood. Even if they're not that nearby, how awesome to even have the opportunity to take a drive and get together in person with people who share your enthusiasm for honesty and rational thinking. As one who has taken that drive, I can relate that it's well worth it. Philosophy is about taking action. We, the members of the FDR community are out there. I encourage you to see who's there to greet you. If you don't find a community in your area, consider becoming an Organizer and starting a group. What's required is a commitment to invest your time and effort. Take that important step and be there to greet others who are looking for honesty, personal integrity, and a life where we can connect to make a difference. Stef said it best when he said, “When we connect with each other, we free the world”. If you decide to become an organizer, we have a Freedomain Radio Meetup Organizers group on Facebook and we welcome your participation, as we help each other through the process of developing and promoting FDR Meetups in our areas. “I think that personal integrity and commitment to values and so on is really important, but the people who are around us... Who you surround yourself with is who you're gonna be.” - Stefan Molyneux (FDR2544)

I've launched an online magazine/blog designed to showcase and promote all the great Freedomain Radio Meetup gatherings that are being planned and happening among such a fantastic community of philosophical minds across the globe. The site is freedomainradiomeetup.com We, the FDR community, are indeed spread around the world. The site will provide a central venue in which I’ll be bringing together news about FDR Meetups worldwide, both past and upcoming, as well as articles with tips on developing thriving Meetups. Having been a member of various Meetup groups since 2006 and being an Organizer/Assistant Organizer, when I realized that Freedomain Radio has the Meetup Everywhere platform in place, I was inspired to get involved. I'm in the Chicagoland area and we've been using Freedomain Radio Meetups (www.meetup.com/Freedomain-Radio/) to schedule our get-togethers. To promote them further, I've been using the Meet 'n Greet category on the FDR Forum and a Freedomain Radio Chicago Meetup group on facebook. For any who aren't familiar with the difference between the Meetup.com site and Meetup Everywhere (both run by the same company), these are the fundamental differences: A Meetup Group is set up directly through Meetup.com and is a local community group that has regular Meetups in their town and are usually started by a local organizer (or organization) that wants to grow at a neighborhood level only. Meetup.com also costs money for the individual or organization to join. Meetup Everywhere's platform is intended for a cause, movement, issue, brand, etc., with a large following of people they want to mobilize and can contact in order to promote their Meetups. This platform enables people to self-organize Meetups in their towns across the globe within one national or international movement and is free to those who wish to schedule Meetups in their area. It is through the Meetup Everywhere platform that Freedomain Radio is able to offer to anyone within the FDR community, at no cost, the ability to schedule a local FDR Meetup in their area (www.meetup.com/Freedomain-Radio/). Yet another fantastic reason to donate money to Freedomain Radio for offering such a wonderful resource to help us find each other. I'll be continuing to update and add more pages and articles to the freedomainradiomeetup.com site. It will be a continual work in progress, especially considering it's content concentrates on ongoing events. It's my goal to get others involved in this project and I look forward to working with other organizers who are bringing together the FDR community in their areas! If you'd like to share news about your local Freedomain Radio Meetups, or if you're interested in contributing article(s), please contact me through PM here on FDR or at [email protected]. Thanks and I look forward to hearing the community's feedback.