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.

The Tyranny of Expectations

In order to arrive at possessing everything, desire to possess nothing.
~ St. John of the Cross

Expectations can cause havoc in our daily living. We all have a basic right to be treated with dignity and respect, but that doesn't mean life will always go our way. The twists and turns of life often carry us up rivers of disappointment to shores we never chose to visit.

Facing life as fully involved travelers, without expectations about outcomes, is perhaps the brightest way to travel. Making plans without setting up for certain outcomes makes us flexible people who learn to go with the flow. It has been said that there is a direct proportion between our level of expectation and the amount of stress we have in our lives. Trusting the results to a larger plan allows us to relax and enjoy the adventure of the journey.

As we grow closer to God, we find we can let go. We are more peaceful and confident, less frantic and controlling. Trusting that our Heavenly Father will protect us, no matter what we encounter on our journey, helps us face the future with a calm and loving heart.

"I Have a Dream" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began to come down due to Supreme Court decisions, like Brown v. Board of Education; and due to an increase in the activism of blacks, fighting for equal rights.

Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950's and the 1960's. In 1963, King and his staff focused on Birmingham, Alabama. They marched and protested non-violently, raising the ire of local officials who sicced water cannon and police dogs on the marchers, whose ranks included teenagers and children. The bad publicity and break-down of business forced the white leaders of Birmingham to concede to some anti-segregation demands.

Thrust into the national spotlight in Birmingham, where he was arrested and jailed, King organized a massive march on Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he evoked the name of Lincoln in his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The following is the exact text of the spoken speech, transcribed from recordings:

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Courage

We must constantly build dykes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

The definition of courage is the ability to conquer fear or despair. In the past we may have thought ourselves "courageous" because we stayed in circumstances that were difficult or nearly unbearable. We may have felt that walking away from family, children, or friends was cowardly or displayed weakness. We may have felt that by holding back our tears we were "stronger people".

Yet all the things we may have viewed as weakness are really signs of courage. All the things we believed to be acts of courage were really not courageous at all. If we walked away from difficult or unbearable circumstances, we would be conquering despair. If we cried, we would have been courageous by letting go of our fear, pain, or sadness.

Courage doesn't mean putting ourselves in stressful or unpleasant situations. Courage doesn't mean controlling our emotions. Courage is the ability to walk boldly through the fear and despair of life, rather suppress or avoid it.

Your Destiny

Your Destiny

Watch your thoughts,

they become your words.

Watch your words,

they become your actions.

Watch your actions,

they become your character.

Watch your character,

it becomes your destiny.

Maturity Through Loving...

Maturity doesn't come with age or intellectual wisdom, only with love. ~ Ruth Casey

We may have thought being mature meant being "grown-up." This meant acting rationally, showing good judgment, no longer exhibiting childish behavior. It's doubtful that we ever considered the expression of love as an act of maturity. However, we are learning that the key to sustained growth is the ability to love one another and ourselves.

It seems so much easier to focus on others' faults than on their assets. In childhood we learned to compete with our classmates, and this taught us to be critical of one another. No teacher tested us on how we expressed love; rather, we worked on spelling and multiplication tables, and we were pitted against other students for the gold stars.

Now we are discovering how much more comfortable life is when we all get gold stars. We are handling every situation more sanely now that we have realized the gift of serenity that accompanies our expression of love.

You had better live your best and act your best and think your best today: for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow. ~ Harriet Martineau

The word "sanity" is derived from the Latin word sanitas, which means "health." In our group, we think of health as wholeness of mind, body, and spirit.

One way to achieve health and wholeness is by living one day at a time. To do this successfully, we need to realize we cannot undo a single act we performed or unsay any harsh words spoken in the past. No matter how much we may regret or re-feel yesterday's painful experiences, there is nothing we can do to change what happened. The past is forever beyond our control.

The same thing is true of the future. No matter how much we may worry and fret over it, very few of us can predict what tomorrow will bring. We can only prepare for a hope-filled future by living fully and confidently today.

The Feeling of Belonging is a Gift

The feeling of belonging - knowing that we have a place - is one of the most important gifts that two partners can give to each other. When we agree to commit ourselves to a partnership, we give each other the key to our daily lives. We allow our mate to be there with us in a way we would not let others. That means that we can expect to have a place that does not have to be renegotiated every day. This feeling of belonging is a gift, but it must be received. In essence, we say to our partner, "I take my place here in your life because we have our relationship. I will relax. I don't stand at the door and knock. We have already told each other that we are included in each other's lives."

This sense of belonging stands in sharp contrast to those feelings of isolation and alienation that we can feel in so many ways. It does not mean that one partner owns the other or that no boundary or separateness exists. But the joy of connection frees people in relationships to fulfill themselves and carry on their lives while in the close comfort of one they love.

The Spirit of Generosity

The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have. ~ Leonard Nimoy

Look around you at the happiest people you know. They are also the most generous and giving people. A generous spirit creates its own environment. In recovery we talk a lot about gratitude - and we have a lot to be grateful for. This feeling of gratitude inspires us to be generous toward others in many different ways. Most sharing is not of material things but a sharing of our spirit, our forgiveness, and our respect for others.

We can cultivate a generous spirit by reminding ourselves that we have enough. We have enough to live well, we are surrounded by love, we have been forgiven for many wrongs that we committed, and life is filled with interesting adventure. When we share from this sense of abundance, our feeling of well-being only grows.

The Gift of Misfortune

Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet. ~ Roger Miller

Gifts are usually surprises. We don't generally know what the ribbons, bows, and wrapping conceal.

Life's greatest misfortunes are, in retrospect, often referred to as gifts. While our debt can feel like a curse, when we finally get to the bottom of what's happened to us, we're surprised to find something good - a gift or blessing of sorts. Through our misfortune, we may have developed some true and lasting relationships, learned we had some admirable qualities we didn't know we had, or discovered the meaning of courage.

To Give, To Receive

To give and to receive are one in truth. ~ A Course in Miracles

Giving our love away, honoring someone in need by giving our full attention, will usually bring kindness and concern in return. And unkindness and neglect on our part are likely to result in the same from others. We will usually elicit that which we've so thoughtfully or thoughtlessly given.

Not many elements in our life are so fully in our control as how we choose to treat other people. There are few among us who aren't moved by another's expression of pure, unconditional love. We are humbled by it and feel valued. We can honor the existence of our fellow travelers by our open, willing love for them too.

We need to feel appreciated. And yet, to express appreciation is such a simple act, one that has profound effects for all concerned. Acts of kindness multiply very quickly; we contribute to a world favoring our true humanity when we give out loving thoughts even as we receive them.

Season's Greetings from The Vocal Majority Chorus

Christmas...         A Time to Believe                                                  Four Magical Christmas Shows at the Eisemann Center                                                   and a Brand New Vocal Majority Christmas CD ! Believe   2007 Christmas Shows  December 13, 14 & 15   The Eisemann Center  Richardson, Texas  Four Exciting Performances Join the Vocal Majority Chorus as we take you and the entire family to the North Pole to renew what we all believe during this marvelous time of the year.    Click here to Order Tickets Today! The Newest Vocal Majority Christmas CD The Vocal Majority's new 2007 Christmas recording, Believe, featuring the title song from the movie, "Polar Express," and other extraordinary sounds of the season.  Click here to Order Your CD Today!   eWhen ordering tickets, make certain to use Code 5107 for a 10% discount off your tickets!f  All four of the Vocal Majority's 2007 Christmas shows will be at the magnificent Charles W. Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson, Texas, conveniently located off North Central Expressway and Galatyn Parkway.    Choose either Thursday, December 13 at 8:00 pm; Friday, December 14 at 8:00 pm; our Saturday, December 15 matinee at 2:00 pm; or our Saturday evening performance at 8:00 pm.   Parking is plentiful, easy and convenient, with full accessibility for those needing extra assistance.    Great seats are still available but they're going fast!! Tickets come in a variety of price levels, such as $10, $18, $25, $32 and $43. Order your tickets now at www.VocalMajority.com or by calling the Eisemann ticket office at 972-744-4650. Group/Junior/Senior discount tickets are available to all shows except Saturday evening and may be purchased by calling Eisemann ticket office at 972-744-4650.

Merry Christmas from the Men of The Vocal  Majority

Anger as a Strategy

Anger helps straighten out a problem like a fan helps straighten out a pile of papers. ~ Susan Marcotte

Some of us have temper tantrums. Like black clouds, we threaten an outburst at any moment. Other people learn to check us out for storm warnings. They want time to clear out or at least to put on a protective covering. We've caught them by surprise before, and they didn't like it. Now they've learned to watch out - to stay on their toes when we're around. Intimidating people, making them glad when we're not around so they can relax, is a poor way to relate to others.

And what do the outbursts do for us? Is there a cheap sense of power or control for a few minutes? Are we advertising to the world that we're short on coping skills? Or do we tell ourselves that letting off steam is necessary once in a while, conveniently forgetting the steam blasting in other people's faces?

No tirade ever solved a problem. Anger is not a strategy. We don't have the right to rain on other people's parades. Our program can teach us better ways to deal with our anger - with honesty and fairness to ourselves and others.

Real Love...

In real love you want the other person's good. In romantic love, you want the other person. ~ Margaret Anderson

The expression of real love is so easy between grandparents and children - and between good friends it passes effortlessly. But why is it so hard to share real love with a spouse or lover? Why, instead, do we want to possess them? And from them we dream of selfless devotion. Yet neither possession nor devotion guarantees the security we long for.

Real love is not selfish; it frees both the giver and the receiver. Knowing we're loved sustains our hearts and diminishes our difficulties. It doesn't bind us, yet paradoxically it bonds our hearts. These encouragements to grow, to change, to dare to depart if it's for our own good, are expressions of real love. Real love is never ownership, only stewardship of this moment's experiences.

What If...

What if . . . we knew for certain that everything we're worried about today will work out fine?

What if . . . we had a guarantee that the problem bothering us would be worked out in the most perfect way, and at the best possible time? Furthermore, what if we knew that three years from now we'd be grateful for that problem, and its solution?

What if . . . we knew that even our worst fear would work out for the best?

What if . . . we had a guarantee that everything that's happening, and has happened, in our life was meant to be, planned just for us, and in our best interest?

What if . . . we had a guarantee that the people we love are experiencing exactly what they need in order to become who they're intended to become? Further, what if we had a guarantee that others can be responsible for themselves, and we don't have to control or take responsibility for them?

What if . . . we knew the future was going to be good, and we would have an abundance of resources and guidance to handle whatever comes our way?

What if . . . we knew everything was okay, and we didn't have to worry about a thing? What would we do then?

We'd be free to let go and enjoy life.