Who cares?

Clinton rally set for Oak Cliff Friday
3:09 PM Thursday • Feb 21, 2008

Hillary Rodham Clinton will speak at 9 am. Friday at a get-out-the-vote rally at the Bank Tower parking lot, 400 S Zang in Oak Cliff. Then she'll travel to downtown Fort Worth to speak at 11 a.m. at the corner of 1st and Main Streets.

A Life Informed by our Beliefs

I am living out my life in accordance with my faith. ~ Ruth Casey

Does faith in God guide your actions as it does Ruth's? It's certain our actions are guided by some set of beliefs. If our memories of past situations are troublesome, maybe it's because we allowed our behavior to be controlled by certain beliefs that did us harm. How might we define our beliefs for a friend today? Are we at peace with them?

Belief systems don't simply occur in our lives mysteriously. We consciously choose that which we adhere to, whether we realize this or not. Sometimes our families foisted their beliefs on us, even when they weren't comfortable to us. Until we were old enough to decide what fit us better, we may have had little recourse. Later, we may have adopted beliefs that matched those of our peers - even though these beliefs contradicted our personal ethics.

Acknowledging the existence of an underlying set of values gives us both security and relief. It means we don't have to spend many valuable hours worrying about the right thing to do in every situation. The actions that fit our belief systems will be obvious. Let's be willing to monitor how our beliefs impact the lives of those around us. It's never too late to consider changing them.

First Love

All our loves are first loves. ~ Susan Fromberg-Schaeffer

When we fall in love with someone, it is a unique thing that comes from deep within us. Any relationship is the creation of two people who open themselves to each other and share themselves beyond the usual boundaries. That is the excitement of true love. Two people give each other the keys to their private world, just as we might share the key to our home, trusting that it will be used with care and respect. This intimacy isn't usually instantaneous. It builds on experience together.

In an intimate relationship, we have the responsibility to be good stewards of the trust given us. Looking at our partner's role is always so much easier than looking at our own, but we need to resist that easy temptation. Our first questions should always be - Do I make it safe for my partner to be open with me? Do I take my partner's vulnerability as a trust that I do not abuse? Am I gentle and respectful with the key my partner gave me? Do my words and responses invite conversation, trust, and intimacy?

The Vocal Majority - Some Interesting Statistics

A few of you have asked how it is that I spend my time while singing with the Men of the Vocal Majority. With that in mind, I thought I'd share some interesting statistics with you. While singing with the Vocal Majority just in 2007, I have...

...Attended 54 separate rehearsals;
...Rehearsed approximately 200 hours;
...Rehearsed 75 different songs;
...Performed 17 times, singing 54 different songs...all by memory:
3 shows in Denver, Colorado;
3 Spring Shows in Richardson, Texas;
3 Fall Shows in Richardson, Texas;
1 High School performance;
4 Private Shows;
1 Funeral;
1 Wedding;
...Sang 15+ Singing Valentines with a quartet;
...Completed our most recent Christmas Album, Believe;

What is even more impressive is that there are more than 120 men that did the same or more than me, all on a voluntary basis. We receive no direct compensation for our work, other than the joy that comes with singing, performing, and being the "best in the world" at what we do...according to some. And besides that, its an absolutely freaking blast, in every way imaginable...which still does the experience an injustice.

Thanks for your support...and patience with my little hobby ☺

What You Attend to Typically Expands in Your Life

Bill O'Hanlon, M.S., Possibilities

223 N. Guadalupe #278, Santa Fe, NM 87501

PossiBill@aol.com ~ www.billohanlon.com

This era has been called "The Age of Attention," since so many things are vying for our attention (television, radio, the Internet, video games, movies, family, work, etc.). Your attention can be a powerful force and it behooves you to manage it wisely. Where you put your attention often expands that area in your awareness and in your life.

Many years ago, there was a rumor going around in a certain Western state that there was some pollutant in the air that was causing pockmarks on car windhsields. A panic set in and investigations were begun. The investigators measured pockmarks on windhields in the state in which the rumors were rampant and in a state with a similar climate and level of pollution in which there was no concern. They found the exact same number of pockmarks per square inch in both states. The difference was that once people heard the rumor, they noticed the pockmarks for the first time or they noticed them much more. This same phenomenon can be used in a positive way in your life.

Find a focus

Decide an area of your life you would like to have expand. It might be more exercise, better eating, more time with your family, more leisure time, more creative work, more reading, being more responsible about spending money or something else entirely.

Record activity or attention to that area

Get a little notebook and carry it around with you for a week or two. Whenever you get a chance, as soon as possible after you notice it, write down anything you have done related to that area. If you have to wait until evening to jot it down, do that. At the end of the week, notice whether this area has expanded in your life.

Add a small amount each day to this area

Commit to spending as little as five minutes each day doing something related to this area. Commit to doing this for small time periods, such as a week or two. You can always continue it if it is working, but commiting to too long a time period may be a set up for failure.In spare moments, think about this areaWhile waiting for an appointment, while riding the bus or subway to work, while waiting for the bath to fill, while waiting for the kids to get bundled up and into the car, use these moments to focus briefly on what you would like to do or have done in this area.

Singing Valentines from The Vocal Majority

Make this Valentine's Day one that she - or he - will never forget!

Say "I Love You!" with a Singing Valentine package that includes:

♥ 4 Men in Tuxedos
♥ 2 Special Love Songs, Serenaded to your Beloved
♥ 1 Long-Stemmed Red Rose
♥ 1 Card With Your Personal Message
♥ 1 Vocal Majority CD (optional $10 extra)

For as little as $50, let a top-quality Vocal Majority quartet sing what’s in your heart to your special someone…at work, at home, or anywhere you choose in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area*. Guaranteed to get you some special attention when you get home that night .

Order online at www.vocalmajority.com or by calling 214.526.8686 or toll-free 800.867.6647.

Deliveries will be made throughout the day on Valentine's Day - Thursday, February 14th.

* The areas served by the Vocal Majority are: Addison; Allen; Balch Springs; Carrollton; Cockrell Hill; Coppell; Dallas; Farmers Branch; Flower Mound; Frisco; Garland; Grand Prairie; Grapevine; Hebron; Highland Park; Highland Village; Irving; Lewisville; McKinney; Mesquite; Murphy; Parker; Plano; Richardson; Sachse; Sunnyvale; The Colony; University Park.